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LIFE STORIES FOR TOUNG PEOPLE 



MARIA THERESA 



LIFE STORIES FOR YOUNG 
PEOPLE 

Translated from the German by 
GEORGE P. UPTON 

8 Vols. Ready 

Beethoven William Tell 

Mozart The Little Dauphin 

Bach Frederick the Great 

Maid of Orleans Maria Theresa 

Each, ivith ^ Illustrations, 6o cents net 




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ORTRAIT of Maria Theresa 



Life Stories for Toung People 



MARIA THERESA 

Translated from the German of 
W, D. Fon Horn 

BY 

GEORGE P. UPTON 

Translator of ** Memories,"" author of " Upton Handbooks on 

Musicy"" editor ^* Autobiography of Theodore 

Thomas,"" etc., etc. 



WITH FOUR ILLUSTRATIONS 



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McCLURG 

1905 


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Copyright 

A. C. McClurg & Co. 

1905 

Published September 16, 1905 



• •• 



THE UNIVERSITY PRESS, CAMBRIDGE, U.S.A. 




MONG the famous queens of the world — 
Catharine II of Russia, Elizabeth, Anne 
Boleyn, and Victoria of England, Mary- 
Queen of Scots, Isabella of Spain, Louise 
of Prussia, Marie Antoinette, Marie and Catharine 
di Medici of France, and others, Maria Theresa of 
Austria holds a conspicuous place. In statesman- 
ship and patriotism she ranks with Elizabeth and 
Catharine. As Catharine greatly improved the 
administration of her Empire, introduced new laws 
and extended its frontiers, and as Elizabeth's reign 
was characterized by great commercial enterprises and 
extraordinary intellectual activity, so the reign of 
Maria Theresa, though she was engaged for years in 
two great wars, — that of the War of the Austrian 
Succession and the Seven Years' War with Frederick 
for the recovery of Silesia, which he had taken from 
her, — proved to be of the highest benefit to Austria 
in the strengthening of law and the introduction of 
needed reforms and wise measures for the welfare of 
the Empire. For years she was engaged in war for the 

[V] 



^TRANSLATOR'S PREFACE -» 

preservation of Silesia with the most potent sovereign 
in Europe — Frederick the Great. Doubtless he 
had some antique claim upon Silesia, but when Maria 
Theresa succeeded to the throne under the terms of 
the Pragmatic Sanction, all the European powers, 
Prussia among them, whose rights might be affected, 
renounced their claims. She relied upon their good 
faith, but on the slightest of pretexts Frederick broke 
it and determined to rob her of Silesia, even at the 
cost of plunging all Europe into a long and devas- 
tating war. He set aside a new treaty to enforce an 
old claim. He plainly condemned himself by his 
own words in his Memoirs : " Ambition, interest, 
the desire of making people talk about me carried 
the day and I decided for war." When peace was 
finally made, Maria Theresa retained her old in- 
heritance, though she lost Silesia ; but Frederick was 
more than willing to make peace, for all Germany 
had been a terrible sufferer by the war and Prussia 
was in dire straits. The story of the life of the 
great queen is briefly told in these pages. It is the 
story of the life of a proud, ambitious queen ; a wise, 
judicious ruler, who had the best interests of her 
subjects at heart, and for whom they were always 
ready to die ; a woman of spotless personal character 
[vi] 



4* TRANSLATOR'S PREFACE* 

and true to all her domestic duties at a time when 
immorality and corruption were rife in high places. 
The story covers some of the same episodes of 
history which occur in the narrative of Frederick, 
in this series, but is none the less interesting, as the 
reader will find both sides presented. 

G. P. U. 

Chicago, 1905 



[vii] 



I The Young Queen 13 

II Campaigns against Prussia, France, 

AND Bohemia ^3 

III The Second Silesian War ... ^6 

IV Plots and Counterplots .... 72 

V Battles of the Seven Years' War 85 

VI Close of the Long Struggle . . 104 

VII The Last Days of Maria Theresa 122 

Appendix 141 



%i^t ttZ Mlu^txutian^ 



Page 

Portrait of Maria Theresa .... Frontispiece^ 

Maria Theresa in the Council Chamber . . i8 

" We are ready to die for our Empress ** . 40 

Be comforted, my good woman, for I have 

come to see you" 132 " 



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^ JWarta m^f^txt^K ^ 



Chapter I 
The Toung ^een 



YTT would almost seem that the Emperor Charles 
VI3 the father of Maria Theresa, had a pre- 
sentiment of what was to come, when, directly 
after his marriage, he obtained from the various 
states united under his dominion an order of suc- 
cession called " The Pragmatic Sanction," ^ which 
decreed that in case his house should become ex- 
tinct in the male line, succession to the throne 
should pass to his female descendants. To make 
this law binding and legal was such an important 



1 The term " Pragmatic Sanction " was first used in the case of decrees issued 
by Byzantine emperors with reference to the affairs of their provinces. It was 
next applied to the limitations of the spiritual authority of the Pope in European 
countries. In the sense in which it is used above it is applied to the succession of 
sovereignty. The Pragmatic Sanction of Charles VI is the most famous of all. 
It had three provisions, (i) that the lands belonging to the house of Austria should 
remain indivisible j (2) that in the absence of male heirs they should devolve upon 
Charles' daughters, the oldest of whom was Maria Theresa ; and (3) that in case 
of the extinction of the line, the inheritance should pass to the daughters of Joseph 
I and their descendants. Charles issued this Sanction in 1 71 3. 

[■3] 



* MARIA THERESAS 

matter to him that it may be said to have been the 
chief aim of his life. 

In the year 171 6, to the great joy of the Emperor, 
a son was born to him. Vienna and the whole 
country shared in the rejoicings of the royal par- 
ents ; but unfortunately their happiness was of short 
duration, for, before the Autumn of that year had 
strewn the earth with withered leaves, the heir to 
the throne had drooped and died. The Emperor's 
grief was intense, and was made harder to bear by 
reason of the many other cares and troubles which 
beset him on all sides at that time. 

The second child was a daughter, Maria Theresa, 
who was born May 13, 1717/ and upon whose 
head, according to the right of primogeniture es- 
tablished by the Pragmatic Sanction, the crowns of 
the united Austrian states were one day to rest. 
Who could have imagined that this child, while 



1 Maria Theresa, Archduchess of Austria, Queen of Hungary and Bohemia, and 
Empress of Germany, was the daughter of Charles VI of Austria and Elizabeth 
Christina of Brunswick- Wolfenbiittel. After the death of Archduke Leopold, her 
only brother, she became sole heiress of the Austrian dominions in 1 72.4, married 
Francis Stephen of Lorraine in 1736, came to the throne in 1740, her husband 
being declared co-regent. She died in 1780. Of her sixteen children, ten reached 
maturity. Her sons were Joseph II, who succeeded his father as Holy Roman Em- 
peror in 1765} Emperor Leopold II j Ferdinand, Duke of Modena, and Maxi- 
milian, Elector of Cologne. Her most famous daughter was Marie Antoinette, 
wife of Louis XVI of France, one of the many victims of the French Revolution. 

[H] 



^THE YOUNG QUEENS 

inheriting all the beauty of her mother, would be 
endowed at the same time with a masculinity of 
intellect, together with a strength and wisdom, a 
firmness yet kindliness of disposition, which but 
few men have manifested ? 

St. Ambrose's " Hymn of Praise " was at once 
sung in the most solemn manner in St. Stephen's 
Cathedral, in the presence of all the highest digni- 
taries of the Empire, and the baptism of the heiress 
to the throne took place on the evening of the day 
of her birth with great pomp and splendor. After 
the loss of their first-born, the imperial couple were 
overjoyed at the advent of this child, and, amid all 
the cares and responsibilities forced upon him by 
his numerous wars, the devoted father never lost 
sight of his fixed purpose or relaxed his efforts to 
obtain universal recognition of his law of succession 
among the European powers, as well as the various 
states of his own empire. He felt the importance 
of securing his beloved daughter's undisputed title 
to the throne, while the Empress' motherly heart 
rejoiced at each hardly won acknowledgment of the 
rights of her child, who already showed signs of 
such splendid promise. 

But it was not alone in such well-grounded and 

[•5] 



^ MARIA THERESA 



well-directed efforts that the parents' care showed it- 
self: no pains were spared to develop to the fullest 
extent Maria Theresa*s abundant mental gifts and 
talents, so as to fit her for her future position as 
ruler of an empire ; nor did the noble mother fail to 
sow the seed and nourish the growth in her daugh- 
ter's tender nature of those womanly virtues which 
were to bear such rich harvest. 

With loving eyes the wise and careful Empress 
watched over the early training of the Princess' 
mind, — a mind which warranted the brightest 
hopes of all those to whose hands her education 
was intrusted. As may be readily understood, 
these instructors were selected from among the 
most distinguished ladies of the Court ; the Coun- 
tesses von Thurn and Valsassina, von Stubenberg 
and von Fuchs. They worked in perfect accord 
with the august mother upon whose breast God 
had placed the precious jewel, and to whose care 
He had intrusted the treasure. Later, as it be- 
came necessary for her to occupy herself with 
more serious and important subjects, learned and 
capable men were assigned the task of guiding 
the clear and active mind of the Princess through 

the departments of religion, history, and other 
[1 6] 



^THE YOUNG QUEENS 

branches of learning, the comprehension of which 
was deemed necessary. The study of languages, 
too, was begun at an early age and covered a wide 
range, as it was important that the future ruler of 
Austria should be familiar with the various tongues 
spoken within her dominions, and thus be able to 
dispense with interpreters who might, and indeed 
must inevitably, stand between her and her people 
to a certain extent. Above all, it was requisite that 
she should not only understand Latin but speak it 
fluently, since that was the language spoken in 
Hungary ; and almost equally important was a 
knowledge of French, Italian, and Spanish. The 
most accomplished masters were chosen by the im- 
perial parents, and equal care was bestowed on the 
choice of teachers for music, drawing, and painting. 

My young readers will perceive from this that 
the Archduchess had no easy tasks to perform. 

Though, as compared with the requirements of 
our times, such an education may seem defective in 
many respects, still it bore surprising fruit, due 
largely to the remarkable endowments of her who 
received it ; she made such good use of it that it was 
possible for her not only to assume the high posi- 
tion that devolved upon her at an early age, but to 

['7] 



^ MARIA THERESAS* 

maintain it with strength and dignity through all 
the troubled period of her minority. 

The following incident confirms the truth of this 
statement. Maria Theresa was sixteen years of age 
when the important and complicated question of the 
election of a king of Poland was to be decided by 
the King's councillors. The imperial maiden en- 
tered the council chamber at her father's side, to 
take part in the deliberations of the foremost states- 
men of the empire, and bore herself with a grace 
and dignity that excited universal admiration. She 
listened with grave attention to the wise words of 
the councillors, but when it came her turn to 
express her opinions, at her father's desire, the 
astonishment of the ministers was unbounded, as 
was the Emperor's delight also, at the clearness 
and accuracy of her judgment, and the acuteness 
and keenness of her perceptions. 

This is given as a proof of her clear understand- 
ing and early maturity of mind, but it must not be 
supposed that these qualities detracted in any way 
from her feminine charms. Indeed, her kindness 
of heart, delicacy of thought, and above all her 
moral purity and lofty strength of purpose, com- 
bined to form a personality which seemed born to 
[i8] 







'^ Council 



THERESA in the 
Chamber 



^THE YOUNG QUEENS 

rule by divine right over the hearts of men, as well as 
to sway the sceptre of a mighty Empire ; nor was her 
power lessened by a physical beauty and grace that 
made her the envy of all the princesses of Europe. 

As she approached the age when the question 
who should one day share the throne with her had 
to be seriously considered, its political bearing 
began to assert itself; personal views were taken less 
into account than careful calculations as to what 
would benefit the crown and state and serve to in- 
crease the national importance and influence. The 
Emperor and his consort had already discussed the 
question privately, before any of the foreign princes 
had turned their glances toward the throne and the 
heiress herself. 

An old tradition, to the effect that the crown of 
Spain would one day be joined again to that which 
was to adorn the beautiful head of Maria Theresa, 
was much talked of in Vienna, and with even 
more seriousness in Madrid. It came to nothing, 
however, and this laid the foundations of a deep 
and lasting enmity in Spain toward Austria. Other 
alliances, too, were discussed and rejected. Whether 
the affections of the Princess were involved in any 
of them is doubtful, especially as there happened to 

['9] 



^ MARIA THERESAS 

be a certain prince staying at the imperial court in 
Vienna who lacked none of the attractions of mind 
or person that particularly fitted him for success in 
his wooing. This was Francis Stephen, son of 
Duke Leopold and Hereditary Prince of Lorraine, 
who was somewhat older indeed than the youthful 
Archduchess, but worthy of her in every way. He 
had succeeded to the dukedom of Lorraine on his 
father's death, and there seemed no obstacles to 
the alliance, either personal or political, when an 
approaching war-cloud relegated all thoughts of 
marriage into the background. 

The centre of disturbance in those days was 
Poland, a part it has repeatedly played since, under 
other circumstances and conditions. The throne of 
this unhappy land was vacant, and the number of 
claimants, with the variety of their pretensions, made 
it a veritable apple of discord. Charles VI sup- 
ported the claim of the Elector of Saxony, but 
France, cherishing an old grudge, had other plans, 
and took up arms against Austria. The war did 
not last long, for Charles was anxious for peace ; but 
many important changes resulted, which reduced 
Austria's possessions in Italy, and Maria Theresa's 

betrothed, instead of remaining Duke of Lorraine, 

[20] 



*THE YOUNG QUEEN* 

was made Grand Duke of Tuscany. After peace 
had been declared, preparations were resumed for the 
marriage of the affianced pair. The nuptials were 
celebrated with the greatest splendor ; but unfortu- 
nately the joy and satisfaction which the occasion 
brought the Emperor were embittered by the dis- 
astrous results of a war with Turkey, which made 
* the death of Prince Eugene,^ " der edler Ritter," 
even more keenly felt, since all that his sword had 
won for Austria was lost again through the incom- 
petency of other commanders. Not long after 
this, the happy young couple began their triumphal 
journey to Tuscany, the sovereignty of which had 
devolved upon the consort of the Archduchess. 

The Emperor Charles* most ardent desire, to see 
a male heir born of this happy union, was not to be 
fulfilled ; he was forced to close his eyes full of 
anxiety as to the continuation of his line and crushed 



1 Prince Eugene, one of the greatest of the world's generals, was born at Paris, 
October i8, 1663, and died at Vienna, April 21, 1736. He entered the service 
of Austria in 1683 5 defeated the Turks in 1697 ; at the outbreak of the Spanish 
war of the succession invaded Italy ; joined Marlborough in Germany ; and defeated 
the French and Bavarians at Blenheim in 1704. In 1706 he drove the French 
out of Italy, and in 1 708 won the great victories at Oudenarde, Lille, and Mal- 
plaquet. War breaking out afresh with Turkey, he won the great battle at Belgrade 
against overwhelming odds, and forced the Turks £0 accept peace. The year of 
Maria Theresa's nuptials, 1736, was the year of his death. 

[2.] 



^ MARIA THERESA 



by the fatal peace of Belgrade, which had been such 
a blow to him. His death occurred on October 
20, 1740. The inheritance v/hich he bequeathed 
to Maria Theresa, as his heiress and successor, con- 
sisted of little territory beyond what Prince Eugene's 
sword had won and secured. Austria's possessions 
had become greatly diminished by the results of 
unfortunate wars. The great leaders and nobles of 
the Empire, instead of working together to insure 
the stability of the much-talked-of Pragmatic Sanc- 
tion, or, what was even more important, to fill the 
treasury and establish and maintain an army that 
should command respect, had ceased to be of any 
help or support to the Emperor ; while an exceed- 
ingly lavish and brilHant Court swallowed up more 
than the country's resources warranted. So when 
Maria Theresa came to the throne, the state treasury 
was almost empty, the army large only on paper ; in 
short, everything was lacking, and no order or system 
existed anywhere. 

The Emperor was a kind-hearted, cultivated, and 
high-minded man, but not the kind of a ruler de- 
manded by the condition of affairs and the importance 
of his position. He had a natural taste for art and 

learning, and sympathized with all that was lofty and 
[22] 



^ THE YOUNG QUEENS 

noble. He was also devoted to the welfare of his 
people and indefatigable in all that pertained to their 
good; but in matters that concerned the political 
position of Austria, he lacked the necessary firmness 
and energy. Thus, while in some ways Maria 
Theresa had only to maintain what her noble father 
had planned and begun, in others she was obliged 
to act on her own responsibility and strive to remedy 
evils that needed a stronger and more masculine 
hand than is often possessed by a woman. But to 
her had been granted the clear, judicious mind and 
resolute spirit of a born ruler ; she was singularly 
fitted for the difficult task, and what a man might 
not have been able to accomplish even under the 
most favorable circumstances, the woman and youth- 
ful Empress effected with the happiest results. It 
was no easy task for her, however, and the eyes 
of Europe were fixed expectantly, if somewhat 
doubtfully, on the fair young Princess who had 
grasped the reins of government under such difficult 
conditions. 

One plan had been suggested to her which, 
viewed in the light of subsequent events, must have 
made a strong impression on her mind. When 
the question of choosing a consort for the Emperor*s 

[^3] 



-» MARIA THERESA-^ 

beautiful and promising daughter had been upper- 
most. Prince Eugene of Savoy proposed a union 
with the Crown Prince Frederick of Prussia, he 
who afterward deservedly won for himself the title 
of " the Great " ; and with his wonderful foresight 
and sagacity — indeed, it would almost seem with a 
prophetic vision of the future — strongly urged the 
execution of his plan. He did not succeed in 
uniting these two great hearts and minds, yet it 
shows how free from prejudice the great hero was. 
How different might the history of Europe have 
been had this dream of the knightly hero been 
realized ! How far-reaching the consequences, ex- 
tending even to our own times ! How much, alas 1 
that must be lamented, might Germany perhaps 
have been spared ! But it was otherwise decreed 
in that high tribunal which rules all human affairs 
and speaks the irrevocable words, — " Thus Shall 
It Be!" 

Maria Theresa was not yet twenty-four years old 
when she ascended the throne. She, whose insight 
was so clear and judgment so unerring, could not 
disguise from herself that her task was a hard one. 
The gravity of it was ever present before her, but 
she never allowed herself to be cast down or dis- 
[24] 



^THE YOUNG QUEENS 

couraged. She was ill, too, when the Emperor 
closed his eyes upon the troubles of this world, and 
sorrow for her honored father, together with the 
magnitude of her undertaking, lay heavily upon her 
heart; but with a devout glance to heaven, a 
fervent prayer for help to the source of all strength 
and courage, her lofty spirit rose again with the 
consciousness of divine aid and a firm resolve to 
fulfil the duties that had been imposed upon her. 
The leaders who should have been a support to her 
were more overcome by the Emperor's death than 
the devoted daughter who was able to conquer her 
grief so heroically, and she was compelled to take 
the lead, and revive their faltering spirits by her 
powerful will and lofty courage. 

She had chosen for her motto one that she lived 
up to in thought and deed from the first to the 
last day of her reign, and of which all her acts and 
ideas bore the impress, namely, Justitia et dementia^ 
or, in English, "Justice and Clemency." There 
was very soon a brilliant illustration of the latter 
quality. It was a time of want and distress for the \ 
poor, and one of the first acts of her reign was to 
throw open the well-filled imperial granaries and 
induce the great lords in her dominions to do the 

[^5] 



^ MARIA THERESAS 

same. Is it any wonder that the people loved her 
with an enthusiastic devotion, and revered her as 
an angel sent to them from God ? A second act, 
which quickly followed, completed this impression 
and strengthened its effect. Large herds of deer 
had been allowed to overrun the country and be- 
come a scourge to the industrious peasants, who 
were compelled to look on quietly while the animals, 
protected by law, grazed without hindrance over 
their cultivated fields, or suffer the heaviest penalties 
if they resisted. During the preceding year it had 
been the cause of an uprising in Styria, and the 
leaders of the rebellion had been condemned to 
death. Here were two great wrongs to be redressed, 
and the Empress did not hesitate to use the proper 
means. She caused the deer to be shot and their 
flesh publicly sold at the lowest prices, and par- 
doned those under sentence of death in Styria, but 
at the same time did not allow the insurgents 

o 

to escape without any punishment. Her motto, 
" Justice and Clemency," had become the rule of 
her life, and it was thus she entered upon her 
lofty and difHcult sphere of action, with the God of 
justice and clemency ever before her eyes and in 
_ her heart. 

^ [^6] 



^THE YOUNG Q U E E N 4* 

That many reforms were necessary was every- 
where made clear by the pressure of obsolete cus- 
toms and ideas ; but that they could be effected 
so promptly and thoroughly was more than any 
one had dared to hope. How could it have been ^ 
expected that a woman, however wise, talented, and 
full of lofty aims, should understand the condition 
of the country well enough to decide at once upon 
the changes that were necessary, and be able to lay 
her hand upon the proper means for bringing them 
about ? 

The surprising fact, however, was brought to 
light that the young ruler was fully acquainted with 
the state of affairs in her realm and with the causes 
of the principal evils, which astonished the people 
as much as it did her ministers, to whom she had 
already revealed this unsuspected sagacity and pen- 
etration at their first conference, thereby causing 
some uneasiness to agitate the old gentlemen's 
powdered wigs and make them anxious to assist 
her in her reforms. 

Maria Theresa already had realized the force of 
the advice Prince Eugene had so strongly urged 
upon her father. The army was utterly demoral- 
ized ; the ofScers had unlimited leave of absence, 

[27] 



MARIA THERESA ^ 



and frequently lived in Vienna or anywhere they 
chose, except with their regiments and in their 
quarters. So it was like a thunderbolt to them 
when the young Empress issued orders for the 
immediate return of all officers to their regiments, 
and for the army to be increased and placed upon 
such a footing that a sudden outbreak of war should 
not find it unprepared ; but at the same time she 
won the devotion of the entire army by thus infus- 
ing fresh life and vigor into the almost paralyzed 
service, and also by another act of clemency. The 
leading officers, colonels and generals, who had 
been held responsible for the results of the last dis- 
astrous Turkish war, and been made to pay heavily 
for their mistakes by dismissal and imprisonment, 
were not only liberated but restored to all their 
former honors and dignities. The effect of this 
upon the army was magical, and the shout of Hun- 
gary in later days, " We will die for our Empress ! " 
swept through the army in an enthusiastic expres- 
sion of devotion and reverence, which was also 
shared by the officers* families. 

Charles VI had been harshly blamed for the 
enormous sums swallowed up by the imperial 
household. The retinue of well-paid officials and 

[28] 



THE YOUNG QUEENS 



retainers was so numerous that they only hindered 
the business at Court instead of promoting it, and 
the salaries were out of all proportion to the ser- 
vices rendered. Fraud and peculation, too, were 
not wanting, and Maria Theresa found herself bur- 
dened with a household which cost the state more 
than .the important affairs of government. With 
her clear insight and resolute will, it was but a short 
step from perception to action. She determined 
that as far as was consistent with the dignity of the 
Court, it should be regulated according to the system 
that prevailed in lower ranks of life ; the spirit of 
display and show should be curbed, and a judicious 
economy introduced. Dismissals accordingly took 
place at once, salaries were decreased, many un- 
necessary expenses done away with, and a strict in- 
spection of household accounts and expenditures 
instituted; and, as Maria Theresas consort also 
brought his influence to bear in the control and 
regulation of this as of other departments of state 
finances, matters began to assume a very different 
appearance, and the ever-pressing need for money 
disappeared. The people, too, were delighted to see 
that their beloved young ruler understood the man- 
agement of her vast household as well as any thrifty 

[29] 



MARIA THERESA ^ 



German housewife. As in her administration of 
the affairs of the Empire she showed a masculine 
clearness and certainty in deciding between what 
was proper or improper, right or wrong, so 
here also her feminine instincts for order and 
the practical management of domestic affairs were 
conspicuous. 

How much Maria Theresa loved and respected 
her husband is shown very plainly in the fact that 
she could not bear to have him occupy an inferior 
position to her, and that she spared no pains to 
make a way for him toward imperial honors. 
Scarcely a month after their accession, she made 
him co-regent and bestowed upon him the electoral 
dignities which belonged to the crown of Bohemia, 
thereby displaying not only her affection for him 
but also her womanly tact and diplomacy. She 
realized the strained relations with foreign courts 
that existed in Austria, and well knew that only 
the slightest provocation was needed to involve her 
in terrible wars. Thus it was a question not only 
of gratifying the dictates of her own heart, but also 
of guarding against any errors or false steps which 
her foes might seize upon and make an excuse for 
active enmity ; and she succeeded in this in a 
[30] 



^THE YOUNG Q U E E N 4* 



masterly manner, though more depended upon the 
observance of forms and ceremonies than their real 
significance warranted. It was of the highest im- 
portance not to give offence anywhere ; for al- 
though the so-called Pragmatic Sanction had been 
recognized in many quarters, — -a recognition too 
often purchased by her father at a heavy sacri- 
fice, — -it was by no means certain that obiections 
might not yet be raised against the step, as well as 
against her elevation of her husband to imperial 
honors, and that would mean war. It was there- 
fore a relief and satisfaction to her that the States of 
her Empire did not delay in pronouncing their 
hearty concurrence in both measures. When some 
who opposed them showed their disapproval by 
an absurd attempt to assert their authority, the 
kindly sovereign maintained a discreet silence and 
ignored it. Bavaria, indeed, asserted claims to 
the crown of Bohemia ; but when Maria Theresa, 
in reply, sent troops to the disputed kingdom, a 
wholesome fear weakened the ambition of Bavaria, 
and the hint was sufficient to prevent any further 
trouble. 

So Maria Theresa*s throne seemed firmly estab- 
lished both at home and abroad. She had a loyal, 

[31] 



^ MARIA THERESAS* 

devoted people on one side and an enthusiastic 
army on the other, to support her, and looked 
cheerfully and hopefully into the future, where no 
gathering storm, no lowering clouds, appeared to 
threaten her peace and security. 



[32] 



Chapt. 



er 



II 



Campaigns against Prussia, France, and 

Bohemia 




A 



ND yet — ! Where the Spree winds along 
between its sandy banks, a young eagle 
was beginning his flight toward the sun. 
Prince Eugene, "the gallant knight," 
had seen more clearly than he whose eyes were fixed 
only on the Pragmatic Sanction. His good coun- 
sel had shared the fate of all well-meant advice 
which earns no thanks and is rarely followed, and 
there was no one now at the imperial court who had 
Eugene of Savoy's far-seeing vision in matters of 
statecraft. But the eagle had already spread his pin- 
ions, and though he had but one head, to be sure, 
yet what a head it was ! This eagle was the young 
King of Prussia, Frederick, second of the name. 

The year 1740 had witnessed new rulers upon 

two thrones : upon the smaller, and, one might say, 

still embryonic one, a man; upon the greater, 

already established, a woman; both young, ener- 

3 [33] 



* MARIA THERESAS 

geticj and richly endowed by nature, both the fore- 
most figures of their time. 

The proverb, " Two hard stones seldom grind 
well," has much truth in it, and none the less if 
the word " hard '* be taken in a figurative sense. 
Thousands of heads and hearts were agitated by 
the question, how these two European monarchs of 
equal birth and capabilities would get on together. 
Would not all their power be exerted to obtain the 
supremacy ? And in this struggle, to use a popular 
but expressive phrase, would not "the fur fly" ? 

It was only in Vienna that people were deceived 
as to Frederick's strength. Those immediately 
about the gifted young King were little concerned 
as to the outcome of any warlike complications, for 
from the very earliest days of his reign he had been 
strengthening and equipping his army. A well-filled 
treasury also favored his secretly cherished plan of 
claiming the Duchy of Silesia, and winning back 
with the sword what he considered his own inheri- 
tance, according to some old agreement concerning 
the succession.^ His army advanced suddenly 



1 Frederick contended that he inherited a lawful claim to Silesia, and that 
the Pragmatic Sanction, which his father had recognized, referred only to lands 
belonging to the house of Austria. 

[3+] 



^PRUSSIA, FRANCE, AND BOHEMIA ^> 
■ ■ 

against Silesia, and he followed it immediately 
after a court ball in Berlin, where no one had the 
least suspicion of his intention. He despatched 
Count Gotter to Vienna, it is true, to state the 
terms by which war could be averted ; ^ but Austria 
would not consent to them, and while these brief 
negotiations were being conducted, Frederick's 
army had already set foot upon the frontier of 
Silesia. 

This news fell upon the Austrian sovereign like 
a thunderbolt out of a clear sky ; but the die was 
cast, the torch of war alight. To resign Silesia 
voluntarily never entered her mind for a moment, 
but alas ! her father's indifference to Prince Eu- 
gene's wise counsel was now bearing fruit. Al- 
though not willing to accept Frederick's terms for a 
peaceful settlement of the question, Maria Theresa 
realized fully the difficulties of her situation, and 
hastily called upon those who had recognized the 
Pragmatic Sanction to redeem their promises and 
lend her some substantial support now that so 
powerful an assault had been made upon this meas- 



1 Frederick offered to aid Maria Theresa against all her enemies if she would 
concede his claims upon Silesia, but the Queen haughtily declined, and even inti- 
mated that Frederick was a robber. 

[35] 



*$* MARIA THERESAS 

ure. But she only had to face the bitter experience 
expressed in the old saying : 

" Friends in prosperity — 
Each will weigh a pound ; 
But to the ounce, in time of need, 
A thousand may be found ! *' 

Those whom she summoned to her aid shrugged 
their shoulders, and sympathized, but made no 
move to array themselves on her side. It is the 
way of the world, and in this dark hour Maria 
Theresa was forced to learn, in bitterness of spirit, 
that there is a vast difference between words and 
deeds. 

There was not much time for choice. The situa- 
tion must be met at once ; but the Austrian force 
in Silesia was too small to build any hopes upon. 
Browne^ collected an army in Moravia; but to 
cross the mountains by bad roads and at an unfa- 
vorable time of year was a task not easily or 
quickly accomplished, so that, thanks to his own 



1 Count Maximilian Ulysses von Browne, an Austrian field-marshal, was born 
at Basel, Switzerland, Oct. 23, 1705, and died at Prague, Bohemia, June 26, 
1757. He was a commander both in the War of the Austrian Succession and the 
Seven Years' War. 

[36] 



-^ PRUSSIA, FRANCE, AND BOHEMIA^ 

energy and his well-equipped and disciplined army, 
Frederick made a rapid advance, and had gained 
possession of the most important places before 
Browne's troops could get near enough to attempt 
any effective movements. When the cannon finally 
thundered at Mollwitz, Schwerin ^ gained a brilliant 
victory over the Austrians, little in his favor as the 
conflict promised to be at first. 

The loss of this battle was a great disaster, and 
the saying that troubles never come singly proved 
true likewise. Thus encouraged, all the enemies of 
Austria, who until now had prudently hidden their 
real animosity under the mask of friendship, threw 
off their disguise and openly arrayed themselves on 
the side of the young King of Prussia. The ag- 
grandizing spirit of France, ever casting covetous 
glances toward the Rhine, made itself most actively 
felt, but intrigues were rife everywhere, and already 
there was talk of a division of the Austrian Empire 
among its enemies. 

Whether all these castles were to prove only 



1 Count Kurt Christoph Schwerin, a German general, was born at Wusecken, 
Pomerania, Oct. 26, 1684, and was killed at the battle of Prague, May 6, 1757. 
He was made a field-marshal by Frederick the Great, and won the important victory 
of Mollwitz, a Silesian village. 

[37] 



^ MARIA THERESA^ 

castles in the air depended now on Maria Theresa, 
Old Austrian statesmen might doubtfully shake 
their bewigged heads, but their youthful ruler 
never wavered. Not a finger's breadth of Silesia 
would she surrender ; at no price would she volun- 
tarily part with any of her inheritance. She well 
knew what her duty required, and the birth of a son 
(afterward the great Emperor Joseph II) vindicated 
this noble woman's firmness and masculine strength 
of purpose. Her heart was full of faith and cour- 
age, and the joy her maternity brought her was 
shared by the people, who showed a touching devo- 
tion to her. This was the foundation upon which 
she built her hopes ; and it was strong enough to 
warrant confidence in Austria's future, though the 
present looked dark enough. 

England made an effort to mediate between 
Maria Theresa and her adversary, but Frederick 
rejected any compromise and demanded the cession 
of Silesia, with the threat that if it were not yielded 
to him he would seize not only it, but four other 
duchies beside. He could always be depended on 
to keep his word, especially when he made emphatic 
statements, and Maria Theresa's cause seemed lost 
before it really was so. But she stood firm as a rock, 

[38] 



^PRUSSIA, FRANCE, AND BOHEMIA^ 

in spite of her increasing danger; in spite of the 
faintheartedness of her ministers ; in spite of the 
plots of her enemies ; in spite of Frederick ITs 
confidence. At any cost the war must be carried 
on ; she must not allow herself to be humbled. 
The time for negotiation was past ; action must 
take its place ; words were useless, deeds must 
decide. 

Maria Theresa's prospects were dubious. The 
French had crossed the Rhine with a large force 
and joined Bavaria. Passau was taken by surprise; 
Linz had fallen ; even Vienna was threatened, and 
would have been obliged to surrender had the 
enemy pressed its advantage that far. 

Maria Theresa had been active in her prepara- 
tions in the meantime. The love of the people for 
their distressed ruler showed itself everywhere. 
Men flocked to the recruiting stations, and all who 
were able hastened to take up arms. In Vienna 
there was the greatest enthusiasm ; all work in 
the shops ceased, and thousands of strong arms 
toiled at the neglected fortifications of the imperial 
city. Neither were there only men's hands at 
work, for women and young girls were to be seen 
in the ranks of the toilers, laboring indefatigably, 

[39] 



MARIA THERESA 



just as it had been when Kara Mustapha had ap- 
proached Vienna, and Kolonitzsch and the old hero 
Stahremberg led the defence/ Everywhere the 
greatest interest was felt in the fate of the beautiful, 
unfortunate Princess, and the women especially, 
both of her own and foreign countries, showed the 
warmest sympathy, while in England they vied with 
one another in contributing money for her treasury, 
knowing that she greatly needed such assistance. 
But her foes were too many and too strong for her, 
and all these efforts would have been in vain had 
not Hungary, with chivalrous self-sacrifice, lent its 
aid to the Princess who wore its sacred crown also. 

Maria Theresa had won the love of the Hunga- 
rians, and this conquest now bore her golden fruit, 
for the love of a people is the only lasting bulwark 
of a throne. Certain States, however, to assert their 
own importance, seemed determined to break down 
this bulwark. But when she appeared in the midst 
of the assembly of the Hungarian States, her deeply 
troubled look and the appeal that sprang from her 



1 This refers to the time when the Hungarians revolted and called upon' the 
Turks to help them. The latter, under Kara Mustapha, besieged Vienna in 1683, 
which was only saved by an army of Poles and Germans under Sobieski (John III, 
King of Poland), in which Kolonitzsch and Stahremberg were conspicuous. 

[40] 




TJ/'^ are ready to die for our Empress"'' 



^PRUSSIA, FRANCE, AND BOHEMIA^ 

overladen heart fired the nobles with wild enthusi- 
asm. " We are ready to die for our Queen, Maria 
Theresa ! " rang from every throat and welled out 
from every heart as an oath of fidehty, and the unani- 
mous resolution was at once taken to aid her with 
all their forces. 

Maria Theresa was deeply affected ; she burst 
into tears, and who does not know the effect that 
tears in a woman's eyes have upon the hearts of 
men? When Maria Theresa's consort had been 
acknowledged as co-regent by the Hungarians, the 
oath taken, and she held up her little son Joseph 
before the Diet at that solemn moment, such a 
burst of enthusiasm followed that they swore afresh 
their wiUingness to die for their Queen, and declared 
firmly that if money were needed for the war they 
would cast all their gold and silver ornaments and 
vessels into the smelting-pot, — indeed, were this 
not enough, even the treasures of the Church 
should be added. 

If anything could have comforted Maria The- 
resa's mJnd and raised her spirits, it would have 
been this experience. There is not much danger 
of a tottering throne where the people are so ready 
to prove their devotion by any sacrifice ; and what 

[41] 



^ MARIA THERESA^sSj* 

Hungary promised it faithfully performed. At 
this time the mixture of peoples along the Danube, 
where it approaches the Turkish possessions, with 
the tribes that Russia in Asia had contributed, 
could hardly have been equalled for wildness and 
barbarity. They were good light horsemen, and 
always ready when it was a question of destruction 
and pillage ; but in open warfare against the well- 
drilled Prussians they stood but a doubtful chance. 
Nevertheless, they had Cossacks among them that 
had not done badly in harassing the French. The 
Hungarians, though headed by a nobility of their 
own, had only these people to depend on, but they 
were better than nothing, and the fifteen thousand 
nobles with their followers made a heavy balance 
in the scales. Every heart was full of enthusiasm 
for the noble woman who was so hard pressed, 
and while their forces were being organized — for an 
army is not raised by the stroke of a magic wand — 
this sentiment deepened continually. 

While the hostile army had already advanced as 
far as Linz, the Queen hoped for assistance from 
England in the shape of gold from London and 
troops from Hanover, but it seemed in truth as 
though all help would be cut off. Even when 
[42] 



^PRUSSIA, FRANCE, AND BOHEMIA^ 

George II of England had raised an army in 
Hanover, the French, under Maillebois, marched 
up through WestphaHa, and the English began to 
find Hanover uncomfortable. With an Englishman 
charity begins at home, and George's " skin was 
nearer to him than his shirt," as the saying goes, so 
he made the best terms he could with the French, 
and abandoned Maria Theresa in spite of all his 
chivalrous protestations. 

With France, Bavaria, and Saxony threatening 
her on one side, Prussia on the other, and as yet 
no army to oppose them with any hope of success, 
what could be more welcome than a settlement with 
Frederick II, arranged by England's mediation, and 
to which Frederick gladly agreed, since it secured 
him the possession of Silesia and averted the danger 
that seemed impending from the attitude of the 
Elector of Bavaria ? The treaty was signed at 
Oberschnellendorf, but absolute secrecy was to be 
maintained concerning it. Thus Maria Theresa 
acquired, in this direction, at least, a free hand ; 
and it was very necessary, for Bavaria and France 
were seriously threatening the capital of Bohemia, 
whence the Elector of Bavaria might have taken 
Vienna at a single blow, but, allured by the prospect 

[43] 



^ MARIA THERESAS 

of a crown, the attraction in Bohemia was too 
strong.^ 

Such was the state of affairs when Maria Theresa's 
army of sixty thousand men entered Bohemia and 
rapidly advanced toward Prague, hoping to be able 
to relieve the city, which had a garrison of only 
three thousand and was in no condition to hold 
out against an army like that of united France, 
Bavaria, and Saxony, which was pressing it hard. 
There could be no question of a long resistance ; 
therefore haste was necessary for the Austrians if 
they were to be of any service. But they came too 
late. Prague had fallen, and the Elector of Bavaria 
was crowned King of Bohemia. This, however, to 
him, was but a step toward the Imperial Crown, 
which he already saw upon his head. Therefore, no 
sooner were the coronation ceremonies ended than 
he established a regency in Prague, hastened to 
Munich, and from thence by way of Mannheim to 
Frankfort-on-the-Main. One thought, one hope, 
sustained Maria Theresa after this bitter blow, — 



1 Karl Albrecht, Elector of Bavaria, subsequently Charles VII, was born at 
Brussels, Aug. 6, 1697, and died at Munich, Jan. 20, 1745. ^^ ^^^ ^ 
claimant of the Austrian inheritance, took part in the War of the Succession, was 
proclaimed King of Bohemia in 1741, and crowned Emperor in 1742. 

[44] 



*$• PRUSSIA, FRANCE, AND BOHEMIA^ 

namely, that her husband would be chosen Em- 
peror at the electoral assembly then being held at 
Frankfort ; but here, too, a fresh disappointment 
awaited her. The Elector of Bavaria's successes in 
Bohemia added powerfully to his influence, and he 
was elected Emperor January 30, 1742, his corona- 
tion following, February 1 2 of the same year. That 
Maria Theresa should refuse to acknowledge him 
was but natural, and, as she denied the validity of 
the election, that she should refuse to deliver the 
imperial archives was also natural. 

The Elector of Bavaria at last had reached the 
summit of his ambitions, but it was also the turn- 
ing point; thenceforward his path led downward, 
and victory turned toward Maria Theresa's colors. 
Scarcely was the crown placed on his head, when his 
own capital, Munich, fell into the hands of Maria 
Theresa. Her husband had succeeded in Bohemia, 
with the gallant Khevenhiiller's assistance, in winning 
the Hungarians to him and cutting off the enemy's 
forces there from those which remained in Austria, 
and thus began a campaign that meant destruction to 
the audacious foe. In Bavaria the Austrians carried 
all before them, and Maria Theresa's victorious 
banner was soon waving over all that province. 

[45] 



^ MARIA THERESA 



This state of things naturally attracted the atten- 
tion of Frederick II, and drew him again into the 
field of action. As the agreement to keep the treaty 
of Oberschnellendorf had been broken, he no longer 
felt bound by his own promise. He again joined 
forces with the hard-pressed Elector, the new Em- 
peror, and a fresh war-torch was set ablaze, which 
alarmed Maria Theresa more than the old one. 
Frederick's arms were victorious, his activity in 
making alHances against Austria unceasing, and when 
the Zieten^ hussars made inroads as far as Stockerau, 
destruction seemed hanging once more over Maria 
Theresa's head. The storm did not break, however, 
for Frederick found himself checked by Saxony, and 
the French were little inchned to play into the hands 
of Prussia. Frederick would gladly have consented 
to an adjustment of his relations with Austria, had 
it been possible ; but the battles of Chotusitz and 
Czaslau changed the aspect of things, for they gave 
him the victory, though at a terrible sacrifice. Never- 
theless, his view of the situation was not altered to 
such an extent that he did not still wish to end the 



1 Hans Joachim von Zieten was a famous cavalry officer in the Prussian army, 
and won distinction from a march with his hussars in 1 745 . He decided three of 
Frederick's victories, — Leuthen, Liegnitz, and Torgau. 

[46] 



4* PRUSSIA, FRANCE, AND BOHEMIA 4^ 

war. With the same desire on both sides there 
could be but one result, and peace was signed at 
Breslau in the Summer of 1742. 

By this treaty Frederick received the duchy of 
Upper and Lower Silesia and Glatz, and renounced 
all further claims on Maria Theresa. The bound- 
aries were firmly fixed, and she won a free hand in 
this quarter, but with a loss that cut her to the 
heart. The finest jewel had been torn from her 
crown, and with a bleeding heart she had been forced 
to give it up in order to save the rest of her inheri- 
tance. On one side the flames of war were now ex- 
tinguished, but on the other they still blazed fiercely. 
Her hopes were nearing fulfilment. The troops 
which she had been obliged to employ against Fred- 
erick could now be sent to oppose her other foes, and 
this was a great gain, for this division of her strength 
had been a constant source of anxiety to her, and 
with good reason. Bohemia next claimed her at- 
tention, and thither she sent the forces thus released. 
Nor was this the only reward so dearly bought by 
the peace of Breslau ; for her friends were now 
encouraged to show their sympathy and offer her 
assistance. To win back Bohemia and its capital 
was her next important task. 

[47] 



4- MARIA THERESA^ 

In Italy the situation had improved for her — 
not without some sacrifice, it is true — and from there 
she could also send troops to Bohemia, to enable the 
Austrian army to invest Prague. In the besieged 
city were a body of French, and this caused as 
much anxiety in Paris as it did to Marshal Belle- 
Isle himself in Prague. He tried to make terms, 
but his schemes were frustrated, as well as the pro- 
posed negotiations for peace from Paris, by the 
resolute courage and firmness of the Empress. She 
would listen to none of Francis' proposals, none of 
Belle-Isle's plans for capitulation. She rejected 
both with noble pride and indignation, deeply as 
her refusal might be resented by France. 

In Prague the distress of the French increased 
rapidly. The lack of provisions had become alarm- 
ing. Belle-Isle had only one hope — the French 
auxiliary corps under Harcourt which Khevenhiiller 
was holding back on the Danube. But could 
he count on it? The army on the lower Rhine 
was in the same predicament. Here, as there, a 
decided " Halt ! " had been called to France, which 
she was compelled to obey. It seemed impossible 
that their comrades in Prague could expect any 
help from either of these quarters ; yet neverthe- 
[48] 



^PRUSSIA, FRANCE, AND BOHEMIA* 

less it came, at the express command of the King 
of France. 

The commander-in-chief of the French on the 
lower Rhine, where an English force was opposing 
them, suddenly departed, leaving one division en- 
gaged with the English, and hastened unobstructed 
to Bavaria, where he was joined by a Bavarian army 
corps. At the same time Count Maurice of Saxony 
replaced Harcourt in the army on the Danube. He 
also contrived to elude Khevenhiiller, and made all 
speed with the main body of his troops toward 
Maillebois' division. The bold stroke was success- 
ful, and while the besieging army, apprised of this 
new danger, was hastening to meet it, the beleaguered 
French tried to escape from Prague and join Maille- 
bois. The attempt failed, however, as did that 
general's efforts to relieve the city. Closely invested 
as it now was by Lobkowitz, Prague could no longer 
hold out ; for, in addition to the scarcity of food, they 
had to endure the bitter cold of Winter, and there 
was a lack of fuel also. He conducted the siege so 
carelessly, however, that Belle-Isle finally managed 
to escape with the French garrison and all the artil- 
lery and stores. Not till they were gone did the 
Austrians discover it and pursue them ; but they 
4 [49] 



^ MARIA THERESAS 

succeeded in reaching Eger, though with great suffer- 
ing and loss. Those who were left behind in Prague 
would have been taken prisoners had not their leader 
made known to the Austrian commander that they 
must be allowed to retire with military honors, or 
he would set fire to the city and bury himself and 
all his troops under its ashes. Lobkowitz consented 
to their retreat in order to save Prague, and thus 
ingloriously took possession of the shattered city. 
Had Maria Theresa not had a kind and merciful 
heart, the inhabitants would have suffered even more 
than they had been called upon to endure ; for many 
of those who had been so ready to help crown the 
Elector of Bavaria well deserved the punishment 
they thus escaped. Now that Bohemia as far as 
the city of Eger was once more her own, Maria 
Theresa was crowned with great pomp as Queen of 
Bohemia. 

An anecdote in this connection will be of interest. 
A courier arrived from Charles VII, bringing a 
protest from him, as crowned King of Bohemia, 
against Maria Theresa's coronation. Smiling, she 
ordered the courier to be given a number of her gold 
coronation coins, with instructions to carry them 
back to his master without delay. This was done, 

[50] 



^PRUSSIA, FRANCE, AND BOHEMIA^ 

and doubtless the sight of the coins caused little 
pleasure in Munich. 

Fortune now seemed to favor Maria Theresa 
everywhere. In Italy, too, events had shaped them- 
selves to her advantage, and at the close of the year 
1742 she could look cheerfully into the future, 
although the sky was not entirely cloudless ; for in 
Italy there were many knots to be untied that only 
the sword could loosen. 

The Spring saw banners waving and heard the roll 
of the drums in Bavaria. The Bavarian Field Mar- 
shal von Seckendorft, who had been ordered back to 
Munich by his lord and emperor, fell back across 
the Iser before Prince Charles of Lorraine and old 
Khevenhiiller, who were pressing him hotly. The 
French general, Broglio, meanwhile inactive in 
Osterhof, watching these proceedings, made no re- 
sponse to Seckendorif 's appeals. Nor was this 
retreat all ; for, more important still, the whole 
division under General Minuzzi was completely 
crushed by the Austrians in a bloody battle, where 
Minuzzi himself was taken prisoner. This was a 
Spring greeting most joyfully received in Vienna, 
and which seemed but a forerunner of still further 
victories. 

[5"] 



4^ MARIA THERESAS 

No sooner was this accomplished than Kheven- 
hiiller turned his attention to the French, whom he 
would gladly have shown the way across the Rhine. 
Broglio may have suspected this, and was so oblig- 
ing as to relieve the old hero of this agreeable task, 
for at Khevenhuller*s approach he turned his troops 
toward Ingolstadt (which was not forward) and kept 
his movements secret until he was across the Rhine, 
where twelve thousand men would reenforce him. 
Then, and then only, did he feel himself safe. 
Bavaria now realized what she was to expect from 
her light-footed allies, and sent them no thanks. 
Charles VII, too, knew at last upon what he had been 
relying and that he must once more bid farewell to 
his good city of Munich, if, indeed, he might not be 
obliged to occupy an unsought lodging in Vienna. 
Had he looked at this time at the coronation coins 
brought him by the courier from Vienna, it must have 
seemed that a mocking smile hovered about Maria 
Theresa^s lips, and that she whispered softly but sig- 
nificantly, ^^Auf wiedersehen ! " There was no choice 
left him but to enter into negotiations with Austria 
to protect his ancestral domains. 

Maria Theresa, in the midst of her victorious 
career, offered the hand of peace. Charles VII 
[52] 



^PRUSSIA, FRANCE, AND BOHEMIA^ 

renounced his claims to the Austrian succession and, 
fortunately for the public tranquillity, left all the con- 
quered territory in the possession of Austria. To 
guard against any future trouble Maria Theresa had 
all these States take the oath of allegiance to her, 
even though they might be only temporarily in her 
possession. This was a triumph for her which offset 
the homage received by Charles in Bohemia, — 
a return which he had well deserved and which he 
well understood without any further explanation. 

Thus fortune still smiled upon Maria Theresa, 
here as elsewhere. The English army in the 
Netherlands had crossed the Rhine, and, advancing 
by way of Frankfort, received a large reenforcement 
and tried to effect a union with Khevenhiiller 
and Prince Charles of Lorraine, who had pushed 
forward from the Upper Rhine. Marshal de 
Noailles was opposing them with a considerable 
force, but when he perceived their design he 
crossed the Rhine to attack the English. George 
II himself joined the army just then, fortunately, 
and a battle was fought at Dettingen, on the Main, 
which resulted in Noailles' retreat across the Rhine 
again. The King of England then held a coun- 
cil of war with Khevenhiiller and the Prince at 

[53] 



^ MARIA THERESA 4^ 

Elainault to decide what course to pursue. It was 
agreed that King George should lead the way 
while the Austrian generals crossed the river at 
Basel and try to reach Lorraine, in order to take 
up Winter quarters in Champagne. This plan mis- 
carried, however, and the Austrian army returned 
to Bavaria for the Winter, while King George, after 
destroying the French works on the Rhine, espe- 
cially at Landau, v/ithdrew again across the river and 
also went into Winter quarters, for Winter cam- 
paigns were not generally undertaken at that time. 

Though the results of the wars Maria Theresa 
was waging against her enemies were most gratify- 
ing, the troubles in Italy still weighed like an Alp 
upon her heart. The Spanish general in command 
there had drawn upon himself, and not without 
cause, the reproach of negligence. A substitute 
had replaced him with urgent orders to retrieve the 
errors of his predecessor, and he might have been 
able to do so had he not had an adversary so 
brave, crafty, and well versed in the arts of war as 
the old field-marshal, Count Traun. 

Already there had been a bloody battle, Febru- 
ary 8, 1743, in which he had been the victor, but at 
this time negotiations were begun which put an end 

[54] 



^PRUSSIA, FRANCE, AND BOHEMIA *$- 

to the bloodshed. They took place at Worms, 
between England, Sardinia, and Austria, and again 
was Maria Theresa obliged to resign some of her 
territory, this time in Sardinia, in order to eifect 
the alliance. Scarcely were the terms completed, 
when Lobkowitz, who had succeeded old Traun in 
the command, advanced against the Spaniards and 
drove them back : whereupon the King of Sardinia 
struck the French-Spanish army such a blow that 
it was forced to retreat to the south of France for 
the Winter. 

Though Maria Theresa had been unfortunate in 
having to relinquish more of her territory in this 
campaign, still, the armies were victorious, and all 
these circumstances had served to unite her more 
closely to her friends, and had given her a new ally 
in the person of the Elector Frederick Augustus IV 
of Saxony, with twenty thousand troops to assist 
her. Thus far the outlook was very bright; but 
by the close of the year 1743 new clouds foretold a 
gathering storm. The lion on the Spree had begun 
to stir and toss his mane. Frederick's army, which 
had once in jest been called the " Potsdam Night- 
watch Parade," was as little a subject for derision as 
he who commanded and was the soul of it. 

[55] 



Chapter III 
The Second Silesian War 



A THOUGH she had prepared for it 
carefully, Maria Theresa could not look 
forward with much confidence to this 
new struggle, which began in the Spring. 
Khevenhiiller was dead, and she had shed tears of 
sorrow and gratitude for him, which the brave old 
soldier had well deserved from his sovereign. She 
felt the loss of his strong support in this war, upon 
which France, who heretofore had merely been an 
ally of the enemies of Austria, had now entered on 
her own account, in league with Spain. 

The campaign began in the Netherlands, where a 
well-organized French army under capable leadership 
was arrayed against the combined forces of Austria, 
Holland, and England, the latter being under various 
commands and far inferior in numbers. The advan- 
tage, therefore, was decidedly with the French. To 
offset this, an Austrian force was sent to invade 
Alsace, which was occupied by French and Bavarian 
[56] 



^ THE SECOND SILESIAN WAR ^^ 

troops. It was led by Prince Charles of Lorraine 
and brave old " Father Traun," as the soldiers called 
the old Count, who was universally beloved by them. 
In the Netherlands fortune favored the French ; in 
Alsace, the Austrians. Prince Charles of Lorraine 
marched triumphantly into Lorraine, and his light 
cavalry made inroads as far as the environs of 
Liineville, where he was checked by fresh forces 
under able generals sent from France to oppose his 
victorious advance. 

Such was the state of affairs beyond the Rhine 
when the second Silesian war involved Maria 
Theresa in fresh troubles. Frederick II, who was 
anxious about the safety of his newly acquired pos- 
sessions, had taken advantage of the peace further 
to strengthen his army and make all his prepara- 
tions for a campaign. Moreover, he understood 
how to fill the public treasury without seeming to 
impair the resources or prosperity of the people — 
certainly a great and rare art. 

At this important juncture, when Maria Theresa*s 
attention was fully occupied in the Netherlands and 
in Alsace, he had a well-equipped army of one 
hundred and twenty thousand men, an abundance 
of stores and ammunition, and, above all, plenty of 

[57] 



^ MARIA THERESA ^^ 

money at his command, which Montecuculi ^ rightly 
called the first, second, and third requirements for 
conducting a war, and of which Austria had never 
possessed a surplus, least of all now. Frederick's 
apprehensions concerning Silesia were strengthened 
by the fact that, since the peace of Breslau, Maria 
Theresa's power had increased to such an extent 
that with the assistance of her allies she might easily 
plan to reconquer the province whose loss she had 
never forgotten ; indeed, he felt sure this would be 
the case. He followed one of his own precepts 
when he took up the sword again, " that it is 
always the greatest folly not to anticipate a dis- 
aster, if one hopes to avert it." Nevertheless, he 
clearly realized the advantages of an alliance with 
the neutral German princes, and tried hard to bring 
it about; and when this plan failed, he joined forces 
with France, the Emperor Charles VII, and others, 
thus insuring the success of his plans. 

Maria Theresa's heart sank when she heard of 



1 Count Raimondo Montecuculi was born at Modena, Italy, in 1608, and 
died at Linz, Austria, in 1680. He served with great distinction in the Thirty 
Years' War j commanded the Austrian army which was sent to Poland against the 
Swedes and Transylvanians, 1657-605 gained a great battle over the Turks at St. 
Gotthard in 16645 ^"^ fought Turenne and Conde on the Rhine from 1672 to 
1675. He wrote a famous treatise on the art of war, from which the saying above 
attributed to him is quoted. 

[58] 



^ THE SECOND SILESIAN WAR 4* 

this, but trust in God and the justice of her cause 
sustained her, as these words of hers prove : " God 
knows my right ; He will protect me as He has 
hitherto done ! " Many letters were exchanged 
between Frederick and herself, each charging the 
other with breaking their treaty ; but it was of no 
avail. War was finally declared, ostensibly in behalf 
of the Emperor Charles VII, and Frederick's army, 
one hundred thousand strong, invaded Bohemia, 
while a part of it was sent to guard Kurmark ^ and 
Silesia. Saxony was stunned when Frederick with- 
out further ceremony crossed its frontiers, and 
made some fruitless attempts at resistance, but Zieten 
cleared the way with his huzzars, and in an incred- 
ibly short time Frederick was before Prague. 

Maria Theresa called out the militia of the coun- 
try to meet the danger ; but of what avail was the 
militia against the invincible Prussians ? Where 
should she turn for aid in her extremity but to her 
loyal Hungary ? She hastened to Presburg, where 
once more her words and her beauty kindled a 
blaze of enthusiasm and devotion, and almost as if 
sprung from the earth forty thousand Hungarians 



1 Kurmark was the old name for the larger portion of Brandenburg, Prussia. 

[59] 



* MARIA THERESAS 

stood ready to fight for her; thirty thousand more 
formed the reserve, and ten thousand were hurriedly 
despatched to Bohemia to oppose Frederick. This 
was the work of the old Palatine Palffy, who was 
no longer able to do any fighting himself. Maria 
Theresa wrote him that charming letter which will 
ever remain a model in the art of saying much in 
few words, and with it sent her finest horse, a costly 
jewelled sword, and a valuable diamond ring. She 
wrote : 

" My Father Palffy, — I send you this horse, which 
is worthy of being mounted only by the noblest of my sub- 
jects •, accept also this sword to defend me against my ene- 
mies, and keep this ring as a token of my lasting affection. 

Theresa." 

The sending of the letter and the gifts was soon 
known all over Hungary, and its effect upon a 
people so easily roused to enthusiasm, and at the 
same time ready to devote themselves to her cause 
with the last drop of their blood, may well be imag- 
ined. Before help could arrive, however, Frederick 
had taken Prague, and several other important 
cities also fell into his hands. The friends of 
Maria Theresa began to lose courage, but not she ! 

[60] 



*^THE SECOND SILESIAN WAR 4* 

When the Hungarians arrived, she forced Saxony 
into some decisive course and recalled Prince 
Charles of Lorraine to Bohemia. 

Notwithstanding the difficulty of such an under- 
taking against so powerful an adversary. Prince 
Charles met with brilliant success, and the troops 
from Alsace were aided by auxiliary forces from 
Saxony. Old Count Traun found the plan of cut- 
ting Frederick off from Prague and conquering him 
by starvation an excellent one, and proceeded to 
carry it out in a masterly manner. Frederick 
sought to force his adversary into a battle, but the 
latter continually evaded him. Traun's light horse- 
men harassed his troops on every side and captured 
his provision train, while the Bohemians, with their 
Queen's soldiers, buried the stores in the ground 
and then made their escape in the forests. Fred- 
erick was beside himself with rage. His soldiers, 
suffering from hunger and every discomfort, quar- 
relled among themselves and deserted in large num- 
bers, and at last, though much against his will, he 
was obliged to begin a retreat. 

Thus the Austrians again came into possession of 

Bohemia, with but trifling losses; and old "Father 

Traun," thinking it wise to follow the Prussians, 

[6,] 



* MARIA THERESA 



even entered Glatz and Upper Silesia. Already it 
began to seem as though Maria Theresa might re- 
gain her beloved Silesia, when all at once the tables 
were turned. 

The army imprudently had been allowed to scat- 
ter. The troops from Saxony had withdrawn and 
other divisions had been despatched elsewhere, 
when the Prussians suddenly turned and assumed 
the offensive, and Traun was obliged to retreat to 
Moravia. The Austrians struck a few more vigor- 
ous blows, and the campaign ended in both armies 
going into Winter quarters. Although she had been 
obliged to yield some advantages to Frederick, the 
campaign on the whole had resulted decidedly in 
Maria Theresa*s favor. Frederick was disposed 
therefore to make peace, and signified his willingness 
to do so, but Maria Theresa rejected his overtures, 
since she had formed a new alliance with England, 
Holland, and Saxony, and now had a prospect of 
retrieving her losses and winning back Silesia, the 
lost jewel that had been torn from her crown. 

With this bright outlook for the future, the 
Spring campaign was just beginning, when the Em- 
peror Charles VII died, January 20, 1745. This 
event completely changed the aspect of affairs, and 

[62] 



^THE SECOND SILESIAN WAR <> 

the imperial crown, once possessed by her own 
house, seemed to Maria Theresa a prize worth any 
effort could she but see it placed upon the head of 
her consort. 

Little heed was paid to the unfortunate Emperor's 
advice to his son, Maximilian Joseph, to make peace 
with Austria and banish all hopes of the imperial 
crown from his heart. The young Elector was only 
too ready to listen to ambitious schemers, but before 
the earth was fully decked with living green, all his 
hopes had perished. The victories of the Austrians 
compelled him, as they once had done his father, to 
fly from Munich. Then for the first time he realized 
the wisdom of his father's counsel, and refused to 
listen any longer to those who advised him to con- 
tinue the struggle. He sued for peace, which was 
concluded on April 22, 1745, at Fiissen. Austria 
restored all his conquered territory to him, while he 
renounced his claims to the succession, acknowl- 
edged Maria Theresa's rights under the Pragmatic 
Sanction, and promised her husband his vote at 
the imperial election. The Empress' heart beat 
high with joy, for this broke the alliance known as 
the " Frankfort Union," and Frederick II now 
stood alone. His situation became even more 

[63] 



^ MARIA THERESAS* 



threatening when Russia announced that she would 
permit no attack on Saxony, which amounted to an 
unequivocal if tacit declaration that in such a case 
she would join the league that had been formed in 
Warsaw between Austria, England, Holland, and 
Saxony, called the " Quadruple Alliance." 

Frederick now concluded it was better to seek 
peace than to enter the lists against such odds ; but 
all his attempts at negotiation were frustrated, not- 
withstanding the advantageous character of the con- 
ditions he offered. Maria Theresa was determined 
to have Silesia back again, but he would not agree 
to that. She then tried to win over Saxony, and in 
that she succeeded brilliantly. The prospect looked 
dark for Frederick II, for he also was in need of 
money. The royal plate had already found its way 
secretly to the mint, to reappear in silver coins, 
but that was insufficient. The King did not at- 
tempt to conceal the fact from himself that he 
stood on the edge of a precipice, but a spirit like 
his was not to be daunted by fear of threatening 
spectres. 

The campaign finally reopened under these al- 
tered conditions. Maria Theresa sent eighty thou- 
sand of her troops, with thirty thousand Saxons, to 
[64] 



-»THE SECOND SILESIAN WAR -» 

take possession of Silesia. This army was in high 
spirits, for it was rumored all over the country that 
Frederick was completely discouraged and disheart- 
ened by the misfortunes of the last campaign. No 
one suspected that he himself had caused this report 
to be circulated. He wanted to entice the Aus- 
trians across the mountains^ and they walked into 
the trap. Frederick had taken up a position that 
would enable him to fall upon the enemy as it 
emerged from the mountains, and he awaited Prince 
Charles with perfect calmness and confidence. His 
concealed position completely deceived the Aus- 
trians ; they supposed the small band of Prussians, 
which they had discovered from a mountain top, to 
be part of the rear-guard of the army retreating to 
Breslau. 

When Frederick crossed the stream at Striegau 
on the morningof the fourth of June, his troops en- 
countered two battalions of Saxons, who were not a 
little startled to meet with Prussians there. They 
halted to wait for the rest of the army to come up 
with them, but it had scarcely made its appearance 
when Frederick opened a murderous artillery fire. 
The Austrian cavalry hurled itself upon the Prus- 
sians, but was soon thrown into wildest confusion 
5 [65] 



^ MARIA THERESAS 

and totally routed. The two Saxon battalions 
that had led the way were almost entirely cut to 
pieces, and the Austrians who followed shared the 
same fate. The Prince of Lorraine was thoroughly 
deceived, for he supposed the cannonading and fire 
of musketry came from the Saxons who were captur- 
ing Striegau. It did not occur to him, therefore, to 
send relief, for he still imagined the Prussians in 
full retreat toward Breslau. When at last he dis- 
covered the Saxons in disorderly flight and realized 
what had happened, he hastened to place his troops 
in order of battle, but before this could be accom- 
plished the Prussians had attacked and routed 
them. Nothing was left for him, after five hours' 
hard fighting, but to turn about and escape by way 
of Hohenfriedberg. They were not pursued, for 
Frederick's army was too exhausted after the strug- 
gle. It was a terribly disastrous battle for Austria 
and Saxony, and for Frederick a victory which did 
not produce the results it seemed to promise. 

Prince Charles withdrew to Bohemia, and took 
up a strong position there with the Saxons. Fred- 
erick followed, but did not dare to attack him while 
he was so strongly intrenched, and remained there 
inactive for three months, while the Austrians had 
[66] 



^THE SECOND SILESIAN WAR ^ 

as little desire to assume the offensive before the 
arrival of reenforcements. 

All this time the war in Flanders had been 
blazing fiercely, and the French had gained several 
victories over the allies. The King of England, 
George II, who had been placed in a very trying 
position by France, was anxious for Maria Theresa 
and Frederick to make terms with each other, and 
tried his best to bring it about. An agreement was 
actually drawn up, but when Maria Theresa found 
that the King of England had guaranteed the pos- 
session of Silesia to Frederick, she firmly refused to 
have anything more to do with it. Rather would 
she — and these were her own words — " part with 
the gown from her back than Silesia." She attached 
but little importance to the lost battle of Hohen- 
friedberg, and had perfect confidence in the judg- 
ment and bravery of Prince Charles of Lorraine 
and the loyalty of her Hungarians. Moreover, the 
prospects were good that the imperial crown would 
fall to her husband's lot. How then could she 
resign herself to the thought of sacrificing her 
beloved Silesia ? 

Her consort, Francis Stephen, was indeed elected 
Emperor and crowned under the name of Francis I, 

[67] 



MARIA THERESA ^ 



and thus Maria Theresa's dearest wish was fulfilled. 
She had fresh hope and courage, and a vigorous 
prosecution of the war was ordered. 

The plans of George II of England came to 
naught, and Frederick resumed hostihties, for the 
Empress would never consent to give up Silesia ; 
but he knew his task was a hard one. In Silesia 
the Hungarians had taken Kosel. A part of his 
army was sent to recapture it and drive them out, 
in which it was successful. Another detachment 
went to join old Dessauer at Halle, to oppose the 
Saxons who were threatening Brandenburg. Fred- 
erick had but twenty-two thousand men to oppose 
a superior force of Austrians, and delay had placed 
them at a disadvantage ; for it had enabled the 
enemy to approach so near that an attack could not 
be avoided. He determined therefore to change his 
position and move farther away ; but just as he was 
about to put this plan into execution, Charles of 
Lorraine began his assault. It was on the morning 
of September 30, 1745, near Sohr. Frederick still 
had time to dispose his troops; then he hurled his 
cavalry against the Austrians. This was the begin- 
ning of a battle that resulted in a brilliant victory 
for the Prussians, for the infantry with magnificent 



[68] 



-» THE SECOND SILESIAN WAR -» 

bravery followed the example of the cavalry. For 
five days Frederick's army camped undisturbed on 
the battlefield, and then moved toward Silesia to go 
into Winter quarters. 

Once more there were hopes of peace, but it was 
not yet to be. In Vienna a Winter campaign had 
been determined on. The army was to advance 
directly to Berlin under the Prince of Lorraine. 
One division on the Rhine was to unite with Saxony 
in driving the Prussians from Halle, and then join 
the main army before Berlin. Maria Theresa's 
secret plans were betrayed, however, to the King of 
Prussia, and that enabled him to set every lever in 
motion to thwart her projects, in accordance with his 
favorite method, "anticipate the disaster." It was 
dangerous work for him, for Russia had promised to 
support Saxony in case of attack from Prussia, and 
the warning was repeated when Frederick announced 
his purpose ; but strong measures were necessary, 
and he departed to join the main body of his army 
in Silesia. Here he learned that Prince Charles 
and the Saxons had invaded Upper Lusatia. After 
seeing that the Silesian frontier was well protected, 
therefore, he hastened with all possible secrecy to 
Lusatia and met the enemy at Kunersdorf. His 

[69] 



^ MARIA THERESA* 

sudden attack was successful, and put an end to all 
hopes of taking Berlin by surprise. The unex- 
pected appearance of the Prussians and their victory- 
disheartened the Austrian army, and Prince Charles 
retreated to Bohemia. 

Nor was this defeat all. Frederick summoned 
old Dessauer to Saxony, advanced against Dresden, 
and made an offer of peace to Saxony, but it was 
rejected. The sword had to settle the question, 
which it speedily did. The battle of Kesselsdorf 
was decisive ; a bad blunder of the Saxons gave the 
victory to Prussia, and obliged Prince Charles to 
seek safety with his army. The defeated Saxons 
abandoned their capital, and Frederick entered 
Dresden, December i8, 1745. This opened the 
way for peace, and terms were made soon afterward 
by which Frederick definitely acknowledged Maria 
Theresa's right to the electoral vote of Bohemia 
and the vahdity of her husband's election as 
Emperor, but retained possession of Silesia. 

Thus Austria, great as her losses had been in 
this war, had at least gained what the Empress so 
earnestly desired ; but at the same time had been 
again obliged to leave Silesia in the hands of Prussia 
and put a good face on the matter. Saxony, on the 
[70] 



^THE SECOND SILESIAN WAR ^ 

other hand, had felt the full weight of the con- 
queror's hand, and was glad to come out of it so 
cheaply after all. The treaty of Dresden also se- 
curely settled various other affairs of Maria The- 
resa's at home, which had been disturbed by the 
long and ruinous conflict. 



[y] 



Chapter IV 
Plots and Counterplots 



N Italy, affairs proved even more disastrous. 
Genoa, which up to this time had remained 
neutral, now sided with Spain, Naples, and 
France, so that there was an addition often thou- 
sand men to the enemy's forces to be reckoned with 
when the campaign opened in May. This gave 
them an army of seventy thousand capable of crush- 
ing Austria and its ally Sardinia. 

The outlook was dark for Maria Theresa w^hen 
the Dresden Treaty was signed. While on the one 
hand it brought respite, on the other redoubled vigi- 
lance and energy were needed. The overburdened 
Empress breathed a little more freely, and calmly 
faced the situation in Italy, where she had sent reen- 
forcements to the army and placed Prince Wenzel 
Lichtenstein in command. Thirty thousand fresh 
troops, with a man at their head, count for a great 
deal ; the latter even more than the former, since any 
[72] 



^ PLOTS AND COUNTERPLOTS ^ 

number of troops without a competent leader can 
accomplish little. 

The new campaign, in the Spring of 1746, began 
hopefully, and its promise was realized largely by 
an unforeseen event which occurred on the ninth of 
July and made an important change in the situation. 
This was the death of King Philip V of Spain,^ and 
the succession to the throne of Ferdinand VI,^ who 
was anxious for peace. 

A change in the leadership of the Spanish forces 
in Italy had already weakened them, and the recall 
of six thousand men to Spain greatly increased Lich- 
tenstein's advantage, as results were not slow in prov- 
ing. The battle of the tenth of August disposed of 
the Spaniards as far as Maria Theresa's army was con- 
cerned, and left it free to chastise Genoa. That Re- 
public, already alarmed at the turn of events, became 
panicstricken when the Austrians captured Boc- 
chetta, and the Senate bowed its once proud neck 



1 Philip V of Spain, the grandson of Louis XIV of France, was born at Versailles, 
Dec. 19, T683 ; died at Madrid, July 9, 1746, He was called the Duke of 
Anjou until his succession to the Spanish throne, which caused the War of the 
Spanish Succession. 

2 Ferdinand VI, born Sept. 23, 1712, was the son of Philip V, and succeeded his 
father in 1746 . He was of a weak constitution and melancholy, and relinquished the 
affairs of government almost entirely to his counsellors. His melancholy eventually 
developed into insanity. 

[73] 



* MARIA THERESA 



beneath the foot of the victor. The punishment it 
had so well merited was not lacking when the day of 
reckoning came. Maria Theresa magnanimously, 
indeed, sought to save Genoa from the depths of hu- 
miliation to which Botta relentlessly subjected it, for 
the crippled Republic had suffered enough, — and 
too much, as the sequel showed. 

At this juncture, when the army was victorious 
and both ready and able to continue the work, 
Maria Theresa's plans were frustrated by the jeal- 
ousy of England and Sardinia. The two allies felt 
obliged to turn their arms against Naples, which lay 
so near, and the result was obvious : the Empress 
was forced to abandon them and follow the French 
and Spaniards to Nice. The advance into Pro- 
vence, however, was suddenly brought to a standstill, 
because of the harsh treatment Genoa had received. 
The bow had been bent too far, and it broke. A 
popular insurrection was the fruit of Botta's revenge. 
Austria's disregard of the fact that a people driven 
to desperation will risk everything — a fact unfortu- 
nately too often forgotten, in spite of the terrible 
examples in history, — cost it dearly ; for, aside from 
its material losses in men and supplies, Botta's flight 
and the forced retreat of Browne from Provence 
[74] 



^ PLOTS AND COUNTERPLOTS ^ 

were bitter fruit. Nor was it made any less so by 
the loss of Genoa itself, and the fact that Austria 
had only itself to blame ; for the brutal severity of 
the conqueror and his overbearing arrogance were 
alone responsible. Genoa retained its freedom after 
this, and the war was continued with varying results 
until the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle put an end to the 
bloodshed; but Austria had no cause to rejoice 
over this peace, and Maria Theresa felt it deeply. 

The Queen, however, now turned her vigorous 
mind and generous sympathies into other channels 
than those which ran red with human blood, and 
devoted herself to the welfare of her people. War, 
even in its grandest aspect, is and must always be 
degrading to humanity and a source of untold 
misery. The old German saying that " Peace 
nourishes; strife consumes,'* is a true one. In spite 
of manifold disasters, Maria Theresa had emerged 
from the long struggle with success ; she had de- 
feated the efforts of her enemies to break her power, 
and had strengthened her empire. It had taken 
eight years of war; but the great Empress had not 
been through this hard school of experience without 
profiting much by it, even if her gains were not those 
of territory. 

l7Sl 



^ MARIA THERESAS 

The eight years of peace that now ensued gave 
her time and opportunity to effect the reforms she 
had in mind, a work that appealed strongly to 
her and was worthy of her best endeavors. She had 
a wide field before her, for the weakness of the anti- 
quated system of government bequeathed from the 
Middle Ages was felt on all sides. A great advance 
in civilization had been made during that period, 
and many cumbersome formalities had to be aban- 
doned in order that the administration of affairs 
should be in sympathy with this development. 

Maria Theresa grasped the situation clearly ; she 
understood all this, as well as her own position and 
power and the country's needs. It was a woman 
in this case that proved the old saying, " One's self 
is the man " ; for it was she herself who was the 
motive power in these salutary reforms ; it was her 
own hand that guided the affairs of state and directed 
the reforms in the condition of her people. 

Experience had taught her the value of Prince 
Eugene's advice to her father, which unfortunately 
for himself the latter had so little heeded ; hence her 
first thought was for the reorganization of the army. 
Well as she knew its deficiencies, she showed no 
haste or precipitation in making the necessary 

[76] 



^ PLOTS AND COUNTERPLOTS ^ 

changes, but proceeded slowly though surely to the 
end she had in view. The wonderful personal 
influence and power of this remarkable woman were 
not the only evidences of her greatness ; they were 
apparent also in her successful discovery of the right 
men, and assignment of them to positions where they 
would be most effective and accomplish the most 
good. The change brought about in the army was 
an illustration of this ; not only was the discipline 
wonderfully improved, but so much spirit and enthu- 
siasm were infused into it that at the beginning of 
the Seven Years* War Frederick the Great himself 
was forced to declare, " These are no longer the 
old Austrians ! ** But there was the same love and 
devotion for the Empress which had been manifested 
in the days of the first Silesian war, and the army 
submitted willingly and cheerfully to all her meas- 
ures of reform. 

In this work Maria Theresa had two faithful 
assistants. Count Daun, whose ancestral home was 
a stronghold in the volcanic mountains of Eifel and 
even in its ruined state a worthy cradle of a great 
race, and Prince Wenzel Lichtenstein. As Daun, 
one might say, created the infantry, so old Lichten- 
stein was the founder of the new artillery — two 



^ MARIA THERESA* 

branches of the service in which Frederick II was 
an adept. The cavalry, just as it stood, had served 
as a model for Frederick, but even in that branch 
of the service there was room for improvement. 
Maria Theresa devoted especial attention to the 
breeding of good horses for the cavalry, and took 
great interest in hospital work. It would take too 
long to go into all the details of this important 
work, but one of her remarkable achievements must 
not be overlooked. This was the construction of 
a line of defences, or " military frontier," along the 
Turkish border, which interposed an effective bar- 
rier against those invasions and unexpected attacks 
which had been so common in previous wars with 
that country. 

If Maria Theresa's determined efforts to 
strengthen her army really meant that she had 
Silesia in her mind, who can blame her, especially 
when the affection with which she clung to that lost 
province and her inward conviction that two na- 
tures like hers and Frederick IFs could never re- 
main long at peace with one another, as was indeed 
the case, are considered ? 

With this problem of perfecting the army and fit- 
ting it for future service — possibly the re-conquest 
[78] 



^ PLOTS AND COUNTERPLOTS ^ 

of Silesia — was closely linked another, suggested 
by that saying of Montecuculi's already quoted ; 
namely, that the requisites of war were, firstly, 
money ; secondly, more money ; and thirdly, more 
money again, and plenty of it. The second task 
that confronted Maria Theresa's dauntless spirit was 
the question of taxes, or, in a word, what we call 
finances. Austria was rich in resources, but there 
had been a lack of good management in their ap- 
plication. Judicious economy was much needed in 
this branch of the administration, and, remembering 
the extravagance and wastefulness that had pre- 
vailed in her father's time, the Empress began the 
reduction of expenses. This action and her real- 
ization that the proper remedy was to be obtained 
not by the imposition of crushing taxes on her sub- 
jects, but by developing the rich resources of the 
country, merely furnish further proofs of her polit- 
ical wisdom and statesmanship. 

During the last war, the lack of funds in the 
treasury had made it necessary to impose heavy 
taxes to meet the deficiency, but the system was 
wrong, and failed to effect the desired object ; it 
only made the taxes extremely burdensome, and its 
injustice increased the irritation and discontent of the 

[79] 



^ MARIA THERESAS* 

people. This was an evil that needed a remedy, 
as her unerring glance had long since discovered, 
and she lost no time in devoting all her energies to 
the establishment of a system. wherein juster methods 
should be employed; there were so many who for 
various reasons were exempt from taxation, that it 
became absolutely necessary to limit the number. 
These reforms were received with great enthusiasm 
all over the land, and endeared her still more to the 
people. 

Part of Maria Theresa's success was due to her 
judgment and sagacity in choosing for her advisers 
men of the highest talents and abilities, as well as 
to that unerring tact which is one of nature's best 
gifts to mankind, and which helped her here as it 
had with the army. Among her statesmen, she 
possessed in Kaunitz ^ not only an able and clever 
diplomatist, who filled the highest posts of honor 



1 Wenzel Anton Kaunitz, Count of Rietberg, was one of the most famous of 
European diplomatists. He was born at Vienna, Jan. 2, lyii. His first mission 
was the formation of an alliance of Austria, Sardinia, and Great Britain against the 
Bourbons. He laid the foundation of his fame at the Congress of Aix-la-Chapelle 
in 1748. Between 1750 and 1752 he concluded a secret alliance between France 
and Austria. In 1756 he was made Chancellor of the Netherlands and Italy, and 
at the partition of Poland in 1772 he secured Galicia for Austria. He directed the 
affairs of Austria for more than forty years, and was specially prominent in his re- 
sistance to the power of Prussia. 

[80] 



^ PLOTS AND COUNTERPLOTS ^ 

with credit to himself and his country, but also a 
faithful and devoted servant, and an invaluable aid 
to her in all her far-reaching plans. The one with 
which she was closely concerned at this time had 
been suggested by England. It was a proposal to 
retain the imperial crown of the Holy Roman Em- 
pire of the German nation in her family, and make 
her son, the Archduke Joseph, King of Rome; 
thus giving him the right, on the death of her hus- 
band, to succeed him as Emperor, and prevent any 
more such destructive wars as those from which the 
country had already suffered. England had devised 
this scheme, and was willing to do its share toward 
bringing it about ; but there were many obstacles in 
the way, not the least of them, Prussia. France 
was another ; but Germany itself, for that matter, 
furnished difficulties enough to relegate its accom- 
plishment to the far-distant future. 

The Empress, strongly as the plan appealed to 
her, was cautious and said little, but England con- 
tinued to urge the matter with a persistence that 
excited some doubt as to the sincerity of its atti- 
tude toward Austria. At last its motives became 
apparent, and Maria Theresa abandoned any further 

consideration of the plan. This caused somewhat 
6 [81] 



^ MARIA THERESA^ 

strained relations between the two countries. Dur- 
ing the negotiations, moreover, England's behavior 
was such that Kaunitz, in defence of the dignity of 
his sovereign, was forced to protest against it as in- 
admissible in diplomatic intercourse. His remon- 
strances were unheeded, however ; and when it came 
to the question of affairs in the Netherlands, Eng- 
land's communications and Austria's replies became 
even more pointed. A complete rupture was in- 
evitable, but Kaunitz would not permit matters to 
proceed as far as that until he had seen his way 
clear to a union with France. 

His one idea, since he had been in power, was 
the recovery of Silesia, and as a means to that end 
he endeavored to come to an agreement with France 
and turn it to his advantage. He was shrewd 
enough to keep this plan a secret, as well as that 
other which went hand in hand with It, the humilia- 
tion of Prussia. That Maria Theresa, who had 
never ceased to grieve over the loss of Silesia, fully 
sympathized with these schemes cannot be doubted. 
The only hope of their realization, however, lay in 
separating Prussia from all her allies ; and an alliance 
with France would be a long step in this direction. 
England and France at that time were on the verge 

[82] 



^ PLOTS AND COUNTERPLOTS ^ 

of hostilities over the boundaries of Canada, and 
England had been endeavoring to involve France 
in a war with some of the European powers, so as 
to have a free hand in America. This, however, 
could not be accomplished without assistance ; and, 
beside, there was Hanover to protect. The num- 
ber of troops there had been increased, to be sure, 
but they were not sufficient to insure its safety. 
At this point England demanded to know how 
large a force Austria could raise in case France 
and Prussia should invade the Netherlands and 
Hanover. 

Maria Theresa's eyes were opened now, and she 
replied that she could not spare any troops from 
Bohemia without exposing it to danger from 
Prussia. She would furnish the twenty-five thou- 
sand men agreed upon, in the Netherlands, leaving 
England to take Reuss in payment and seek as- 
sistance from the sovereign princes of Germany. 
These terms of Maria Theresa's were definite and 
final, but England further demanded that Austria 
should not only send thirty thousand men imme- 
diately to the Netherlands, but also an extra force 
to defend Hanover. This Maria Theresa refused 
to do, whereupon England threatened to break its 

[83] 



^ MARIA THERESA 



alliance with Austria unless it complied with these 
demands. Maria Theresa then declared plainly 
what she should demand of England in return for 
the protection of her territory against Prussia and 
Italy. Before her answer had been sent, still more 
peremptory demands arrived from England ; but 
Kaunitz made no reply to them. Matters had 
gone too far to avoid a breach any longer. Eng- 
land broke off negotiations with Austria and went 
over at once to the King of Prussia. 

Frederick II had learned through a traitor at 
Dresden that a secret alliance existed against him 
between Austria and Saxony, to which Russia was 
a party. He therefore gladly accepted the over- 
tures of England, since his union with France had 
come to an end, with little prospect of its renewal. 
The treaty between Maria Theresa and France was 
signed on the first of May, 1756. 

Thus there had been a remarkable change in the 
relations of the European powers when the storm- 
clouds gathered once more and broke in the Seven 
Years' War. 



[84] 



Chapti 



"er V 

Battles of the Seven Years^ War 



m 



'"^^RUE to his practice of boldly meeting an 
impending danger, Frederick preferred 
to open hostilities himself, rather than 
leave it to his enemies. Why should he 
hesitate to kindle the flames of war in the land of so 
bitter an enemy as the Elector of Saxony (also 
King of Poland) had shown himself to be ? With- 
out any formal declaration having been made, there- 
fore, he proceeded to invade Saxony with an army of 
sixty thousand men in three divisions. His advance, 
as usual, was rapid ; all places of importance were 
seized, and on September lo, 1756, he entered 
Dresden. The Elector fled to the fortress of 
Konigstein, which was considered impregnable, and 
at the foot of which the Saxon army of seventeen 
thousand men, all told, was in position. 

The Queen alone remained in Dresden. She had 
the key to the secret archives, and when Fred- 
erick ordered them to be' seized she placed herself 

[85] 



^ MARIA THERESAS 

before the door of the room in which they were 
kept, declaring they should never be taken except 
by force. She was pushed aside, however, the 
chests were broken open, and Frederick found the 
documents, copies of which had been sent him by 
the traitor already mentioned, and which furnished 
proof of the secret alliance against him. With the 
exception of this violence, which, in truth, the 
august lady had brought upon herself, she was 
treated with the greatest respect. The poor 
country fared worse. Although pillage was 
strictly forbidden. Saxony had to bear all the op- 
pression of a conquered country and meet levies of 
all kinds. Frederick emptied the arsenals, confis- 
cated all the state revenues, and treated Saxony as 
if it were part of his own dominions ; but he spared 
the people wherever it was possible. Ignoring the 
protests of the Emperor and also of France, he 
pursued his own course, and worked for his own 
ends firmly and resolutely. 

The position which the Saxon troops held at the 
foot of Konigstein was unassailable. The only way 
to vanquish them was by starvation, so the King 
left them well surrounded and marched with his 
army into Bohemia to prevent any assistance reach- 
[86] 



^ SEVEN YEARS' WAR^ 

ing the Saxons from that quarter. There were two 
Austrian armies in Bohemia — one under the com- 
mand of Marshal Browne, at Kollin ; the other 
under General Piccolomini at Olmiitz, and later at 
Koniggratz. Browne was Saxony's nearest hope of 
rescue ; but Frederick's sudden and unexpected 
appearance in Bohemia took him by surprise and 
found him unprepared for action. Several weeks 
elapsed, in fact, before he was ready to move, and 
Frederick made good use of the time. Moreover, 
the Minister of War, regarded as the most conser- 
vative of the Austrian field-marshals, wished to 
spare the army as much as possible, and to threaten 
Frederick for the advantage of Saxony without ex- 
posing it to long marches and changes of position. 

Browne sent a force of eight thousand to Loso- 
witz under Count Wied, while he himself left 
Kollin and took up a position near Budin. Wied's 
vanguard met the Prussians at Peterswalde, Sep- 
tember tenth, and Browne was forced into an engage- 
ment. The battle was fought near Losowitz, 
October, 1756, but was not decisive, both generals 
claiming the victory. Meanwhile, the famished 
Saxons at Konigstein were in terrible straits. They 
had made an ineffectual effort to escape, and a 

[87] 



^ MARIA THERESA <$* 

second attempt was scarcely more successful, for 
their new position was no better than the one they 
had abandoned. The Prussians again surrounded 
them, and Browne, who had hurried forward hop- 
ing to rescue the beleaguered army, was compelled 
to retreat, leaving the unfortunate Saxons with no 
choice but to lay down their arms and surrender 
themselves with all their artillery to Frederick. 

This blow crushed Saxony's hopes of further 
resistance, but the King of Prussia, more magnani- 
mous than might have been expected considering 
his many reasons for irritation against that country, 
granted neutrality to Konigstein and its occupants. 
The Elector wisely preferred, however, to retire to 
Warsaw, and Frederick, for reasons of his own, 
took good care that he should meet with no inter- 
ference from Prussian troops on the way thither. 

These events closed the campaign. Browne re- 
mained in Bohemia and the King went into Winter 
quarters in Saxony, leaving part of his troops in 
Silesia. Maria Theresa took the loss of Saxony 
very much to heart, for she was thereby deprived of 
a faithful ally. Her army had suffered little and 
accomplished less, but at least it had escaped great 
dangers and was safe, and this was some cause for 
[88] 



4* SEVEN YEARS' WAR^ 

congratulation in Vienna ; for, considering the un- 
prepared condition in which the opening of the 
campaign had found Browne, the outcome might 
easily have been different and his troops have shared 
the fate of Saxony's. 

At all events, Maria Theresa had received a fresh 
warning to be on her guard against such an adver- 
sary, who appeared with the swiftness of an arrow 
where he was least expected, and was rarely to be 
found when he was looked for. With her usual 
energy she urged on the preparation of the army, 
and bestowed upon the task all the care and devo- 
tion of a mother for her children. But, busied as 
she was with affairs at .home, she was none the less 
mindful of the value of neighborly help in time of 
need, — an emergency always to be considered where 
Frederick the Great was concerned. As a fact, 
he himself had unconsciously done more for her 
than her best friend could have accomplished ; for 
the summary methods he had resorted to in Saxony, 
in defiance of the customary rights of nations, was 
unprecedented and greatly incensed other rulers, 
especially the Elector, shut up in his fortress of 
Konigstein like a bird in a cage, with no hope of 
escape save by the favor of Frederick and his as- 

[89] 



MARIA THERESA ^ 



surance of safety from attack by Prussian troops, 
who, to put it mildly, would scarcely have treated 
him with courtly politeness. 

Many of these sovereigns were, no doubt, think- 
ing" What has befallen Saxony might also happen in 
our own lands any day " ; and if it came to the actual 
question whether such a fate were merited or no, 
their consciences might not have altogether acquitted 
them. Be this as it may, there was a general feel- 
ing of resentment among them, and the tendency of 
popular report to magnify matters did its part 
toward helping Maria Theresa by intensifying the 
feeling against Frederick. Even the Holy Roman 
Empire of the German nation condemned his con- 
duct and joined the ranks of his enemies. Frederick, 
however, understood the nondescript character of 
the Imperial army too well to be disturbed by this, 
and his able and active adversary was also suffici- 
ently aware of it to urge on her own preparations 
the more actively. If the Imperial army had been 
her only dependence, there would have been little 
hope for her ; but the French alliance had proved 
most satisfactory, and promised to be of the greatest 
service to her in the event of the dissolution of the 
German union. Indeed, its assurance of help was 
[90] 



^ SEVEN YEARS' WAR ^ 



now all the more certain because Frederick's actions 
were calculated to increase the hatred of France 
for him. 

Sweden also allied itself to France, and Russia 
had promised to support Austria with an army of 
one hundred thousand men. With three additional 
armies, even though Sweden's strength did not 
count for much, and a total force of four hundred 
thousand, Maria Theresa's prospects looked very 
bright, and it was not to be wondered at that 
her eyes were fixed confidently and expectantly on 
her beloved Silesia. Prince Charles of Lorraine 
was put in command of the Austrian army, and 
under him was Marshal Browne, the former 
commander-in-chief in Bohemia. This completely 
altered the plan of campaign that Browne had laid 
out, and the rapid movements of the active enemy 
had to be met with the slow-moving and cum- 
bersome army of the allies. After careful and ju- 
dicious consideration, it was agreed that the best way 
of utilizing the cooperation of the allied armies was 
to close in on Frederick from every side, and thus 
destroy his forces and completely crush him. Was 
the King aware of this plan ? It seems probable 
from the plans which he adopted. Prince Charles 

[91] 



^ MARIA THERESAS 



and Browne occupied strong positions and calmly- 
waited for the Prussian attack, while Daun was sta- 
tioned some distance to the rear — a fact that caused 
Frederick some uneasiness. 

The first battle of the campaign took place in 
the neighborhood of Prague on May 6, 1757. 
The Austrians seemed to have the advantage at 
first, for their artillery caused deadly havoc among 
the Prussians. The gallant Schwerin, seeing the 
danger, seized the colors of his regiment and rode 
at full speed against the enemy, urging his men on 
with shouts of encouragement. A shot found its 
way to his heart almost instantly, but his words 
still rang in every ear, his brave example was before 
every eye, and his death filled every heart with 
a thirst for revenge. The battle was fierce and 
bloody, and resulted in a victory for the Prussians ; 
but it was not a decisive one, and Schwerin*s fall was 
a serious blow to them. Frederick said when in- 
formed of his death, "He was worth ten thousand 
men to me ! " The King was greatly depressed by 
this loss, and also by the fact that the greater part 
of Maria Theresa's army was safe within the walls 
of Prague, which looked like a speedy close to the 
campaign. Moreover, Daun's division was still 
[9^] 



* SEVEN YEARS' WAR ^ 

fresh, and free now to join the rest of the army, 
another advantage in their favor. 

There was nothing left for Frederick but to lay- 
siege to Prague ; but as it promised to be a long and 
tedious affair for him, he ruthlessly bombarded the 
city and invoked the aid of two terrible allies — 
fire and famine. Every day increased the horrors 
of the situation in Prague. Prince Charles made 
every effort to encourage and cheer the soldiers and 
the citizens and persuade them to hold out by 
promises of speedy relief, but their own sufferings 
were more powerful arguments than any of his 
representations. The citizens lost heart, and the 
troops were continually committing acts of violence 
and becoming mutinous, so that Prince Charles was 
finally compelled to have a gallows erected in the 
public square to warn the marauders. Matters 
were desperate, when Daun approached with orders 
from Maria Theresa to relieve the distressed city at 
any cost. 

The case was urgent, for the army and city 
might soon fall into Frederick's hands, a result he 
was confidently reckoning upon. Daun must be 
driven from the neighborhood in order to accom- 
plish it, and how to do that without weakening his 

[93] 



^ MARIA THERESA* 

besieging army was the problem that confronted 
him. With his usual skill, however, he solved it 
by hastening forward with a small detachment to 
join the Prince of Bevern's division, and with him 
advancing to meet Daun. The battle of Kollin 
was the result of their meeting. It was a desperate 
struggle, and a disastrous defeat for the hitherto vic- 
torious King of Prussia. Daun was the victor and 
Prague was saved. 

Maria Theresa received the news with a jubilant 
heart, and hastened at once with the Emperor to 
inform the Countess Daun of her husband's victory 
in person. Nor was this enough. To celebrate 
the day she established the " Order of Maria 
Theresa," which was to be won only by deeds of 
bravery in battle, and which by the infrequency of 
its bestowal was held as the highest possible honor 
in the Austrian army. The first cross of the order 
glistened upon the breast of Daun. As a still 
further expression of her joy and exultation, the 
Empress had a jubilee medal coined in commemo- 
ration of her victory. 

The results of the battle of Kollin were far reach- 
ing. The popular belief in Frederick's invincibil- 
ity received a severe blow, and the courage of his 
[94] 



^ SEVEN YEARS' WAR* 

soldiers sank in proportion as that of the Austrians 
rose. Maria Theresa's forces were continually re- 
ceiving additions, while the Prussian army began to 
dwindle. Matters looked somewhat brighter along 
the Rhine, but the Imperial army with a French 
auxiliary force was advancing to the rescue of Sax- 
ony, and Frederick was forced to march hurriedly 
into Thuringia to meet them, leaving his army in 
Saxony and Lusatia under competent generals. 

Soubise, so famous for his agility in retreat, fell 
back at Frederick's approach, and Erfurt opened 
its gates to him. A few days later Seydlitz sur- 
prised the French at Gotha, and drove them away 
in what might be called headlong flight ; for in the 
ducal palace Seydlitz found the dishes still smoking 
on the table as they had been left, and he and his 
officers sat down with a good appetite to enjoy the 
meal the hungry Frenchmen had been so easily 
frightened away from. This little exploit of the 
cavalry afforded unbounded delight to the King 
and his soldiers, and served as a prelude to what 
was to follow at Rossbach, 

Nothing could equal the scorn with which the 
French in their overwhelming: conceit regarded 
Prussia's little army ; indeed, some of the officers 

[95] 



^ MARIA THERESA 



went so far as to question whether It were not derog- 
atory to their honor to engage in serious conflict 
with such a paltry force. But when the battle 
really began they took to their heels in a manner 
that scarcely has its equal in history. Of the noble 
Imperial army it can only be said that the greater 
part of It left the field without firing a shot. It 
was a rabbit-hunt, not a battle of men. In which the 
Prussians played the parts of hunters and drivers 
at the same time, with Seydlitz for a leader. That 
doughty baron's only regret was that he had not 
been able to catch the gallant Soubise himself; but 
the swiftest horse could scarcely have done that ! 

To prove that even flight may lead to glory 
Prince Soubise, whom even the French them- 
selves had nicknamed " Prince Sottise," ^ received a 
Field- Marshal's staff after this. The riddle Is easily 
solved, however, — Pompadour ! ^ The French con- 
tinued their flight as far as the Rhine, until they 
were sure Frederick had been left far behind. 

The Austrians had been victorious since the 
battle of KoUIn. Bevern's and WInterfeld's forces 



1 " Prince Folly." 

2 Madame Pompadour had great influence in the Court of Louis XV of France, 
and virtually dictated the policy of the government during this period. 

[96] 



^ SEVEN YEARS' WAR ^ 

had been defeated. Silesia was almost within their 
grasp, a result they hoped to see accomplished 
before the end of the campaign. But Frederick 
had other plans. The battle of Rossbach had re- 
stored Saxony to him, but matters had come to the 
point when he must regain his hold on Silesia or 
lose all the advantage he had won. 

In twelve days he crossed the whole breadth of 
his dominions, and effected a union with Bevern's 
force in Silesia. This gave him about thirty-three 
thousand men, and with these troops, many of them 
exhausted by their long march, he faced an Austrian 
army of double their strength near the village of 
Leuthen. Here the Austrians met a crushing de- 
feat ; they lost twenty-six thousand five hundred men, 
killed or taken prisoners, one hundred and sixteen 
cannon, fifty-one standards, and four thousand com- 
missary, baggage, and ammunition wagons, beside 
forfeiting the results of all their former victories. 
Whole regiments were annihilated or taken prison- 
ers. The contemptuous designation of the Prus- 
sian army as the " Potsdam Night-watch Parade " 
was terribly avenged, and the precept was brought 
home to the Austrians, as it had been to the French 
at Rossbach, that " pride goeth before a fall " ! 
7 [97] 



* MARIA THERESAS 

And Maria Theresa ? 

It was a bitter disappointment she was called 
upon to bear. She had looked upon Silesia as her 
own once more; she had seen her army triumph 
over the enemy; her heart had been full of joy and 
gratitude, — and now ! 

Nevertheless, in spite of these misfortunes, her 
brave spirit did not quail ; her faith in the justice of 
her cause was unshaken. She redoubled her exer- 
tions to strengthen the army and make up the 
terrible losses it had suffered. But were there not 
quiet hours when with clasped hands she raised 
her tearful eyes to Heaven in prayer, as a relief 
to her oppressed heart ? Being h^ a woman, and 
a devout and pious woman, it must have been so. 

The third year of the war began in the early 
Spring : what terrible sacrifices it was to cost ! 
What bloodshed and suffering, what distress and 
misery to thousands ! Yet there was no thought 
of peace. Still must the sword reap its deadly har- 
vest, like the scythe in the ripe grain-field, and 
Maria Theresa was powerless to prevent it. Her 
funds were low, their replenishment very difficult ; 
and what vast sums were required to fill the gaps 
that Leuthen alone had caused ! Bohemia was ex- 
[98] 



*5^ SEVEN YEARS'WAR^ 

hausted, little dependence could be placed upon the 
other states for help, and the treasury was slow in 
filling. She saw nothing but difficulties ahead, and, 
worst of all, the people were disheartened. The 
feeling against Prince Charles of Lorraine became 
so strong that he was forced to resign ; but for once 
the ministry of war, which usually bore the blame 
of all mistakes and disasters, escaped the unsparing 
censure that was universally expressed against the 
commander-in-chief. Count Daun was appointed 
in his place, and hastened to Vienna to consult 
upon plans for the new campaign. 

A few preliminary skirmishes resulted in favor of 
the Austrians, but the first important event was the 
loss of Schweidnitz, their last hold in Silesia. The 
garrison, reduced by want and distress, were taken 
prisoners by Frederick, who then advanced against 
Olmiitz. From thence to Vienna was but a step, 
and one that was seriously considered by many of 
the Prussians. But Maria Theresa had again put 
the right man in the right place — two men, indeed, 
who proved themselves worthy of her confidence, 
Daun and Laudon. Daun's great skill lay in his 
choice of positions, and he possessed a caution and 
deliberation that often put Frederick's patience to 
i, [99] 



^ MARIA THERESA 



the test and defeated his plans. He made no move 
until he was satisfied as to the fitness of his army, 
which consisted largely of new troops ; but when his 
preparations were complete he marched to the as- 
sistance of Olmiitz, which Frederick had besieged. 
He cut off the supplies of the Prussians by attacking 
and destroying a heavy train of provisions and 
ammunition which Frederick was anxiously expect- 
ing and depending upon. This loss, together with 
a sudden attack by Daun, forced the Prussians to 
raise the siege and retreat. Olmiitz was saved. 

Maria Theresa was greatly relieved, for she 
realized the importance of Olmiitz, and was cor- 
respondingly grateful to her commander-in-chief, 
whose services she had already had good cause to 
value. She built fresh hopes, too, on the invasion 
of Brandenburg by the Russians, which obliged 
Frederick to divide his forces to meet this new 
danger. Leaving part of his army to oppose Daun, 
he marched rapidly against the Russians, who were 
ravaging Prussia. He defeated them with great 
slaughter at Zorndorf, wreaked a terrible vengeance 
upon them, and then returned to Saxony, where 
he was much needed, for his brother Henry was 

there and was hard pressed by Daun and the Im- 
[loo] 



xj* SEVEN YEARS* WAR4* 



perial army. Daun employed his usual tactics in 
making his own position secure, while his light 
cavalry continually harassed the King's troops, and 
in avoiding the decisive action into which Frederick 
was anxious to force him. 

Frederick pitched his camp at Hochkirchen, on 
a plain directly opposite Daun, a position pro- 
tested against by all his generals and of which Keith 
said, " If the Austrians leave us here in peace, they 
all ought to be hanged ! '* The King paid no at- 
tention, however, to this good advice. Daun*s eagle 
glance was not one to overlook an opportunity that 
lay within his grasp, but his deliberation seemed to 
imply that he did not intend to accept the bold chal- 
lenge, and Frederick had already decided to break 
up his camp, when Daun suddenly fell upon it in 
the early morning (October 14, 1758) while the 
Prussians were still asleep. A desperate struggle 
followed, at first in total darkness. Then the day- 
light struggling through a heavy mist, with flames 
from the burning village, lit up the scene of 
slaughter where the Austrians had the foe at their 
mercy. Had not Frederick's army maintained its 
discipline so well, but a small part of it would have 
escaped. 

[lOl] 



^ MARIA THERESAS 

It was a brilliant victory for Daun, but he com- 
mitted a grave error in not following it up, as his 
adversary would not have failed to do. Too late 
he realized the folly of allowing his irrepressible foe 
to escape, only to rally his forces and drive the 
Austrians from Silesia. Daun hoped to retrieve 
this blunder by achievements in Saxony. He had 
the advantage there and advanced to attack Dresden, 
but the Prussian General Schmettau set fire to the 
suburbs and showed signs of such vigorous resist- 
ance that, rather than see the city destroyed, 
Daun abandoned the attack and withdrew into 
Bohemia. 

The results achieved by the allied armies in other 
quarters were not remarkable. Daun by his victory 
at Hochkirchen bore off the honors of this campaign, 
nor did he lack laurels in recognition of his services. 
He had a mistress who rewarded right royally. 

Maria Theresa needed the Winter^s rest to 

strengthen her position both at home and abroad. 

Some new alliances and a renewal of the old ones 

seemed to promise well for the future. Russia made 

fresh preparations on land and sea ; an agreement 

was made with Sweden and Denmark by which they 

were to close the passage of the strait against the 
[102] 



4* SEVEN YEARS' WAR^ 

English, and the Imperial army bestirred itself to 
repair damages. 

Nor did Frederick neglect this opportunity to 
replenish his treasury, which was much in need of it, 
and to increase and improve his army. 



[103] 



Chapter VI 
Close of the Long Struggle 



y J p~^HE campaign of 1759 began with inroads 

by the Prussians, who committed terrible 

ravages. Prince Henry of Prussia was 

'^-^ ordered to destroy the warehouses and 

magazines in Bohemia as well as in Franconia, both 

of which were suffering from depredations he had 

made with the object of replenishing Prussia's war 

coffers. 

Daun did not take the field until later. He 

cautiously waited for the appearance of the allies, and 

besides, it was important to effect the union of Lau- 

don with the Russians. Although Frederick exerted 

himself to prevent this, Daun carried out his plans 

successfully, and confronted the King with an army 

of sixty thousand men. As the latter*s total force 

amounted to only forty thousand, he retired, and 

the allies took up a strong position near Kunersdorf. 

There they were boldly attacked by the Prussians, 

and a battle ensued which at first seemed to promise 
[104] 



^ CLOSE OF THE LONG STRUGGLE ^ 

Frederick a brilliant victory ; but Laudon changed 
the fortunes of the day and drove the Prussians 
from the field. When Frederick wrote to his min- 
ister. Von Finkenstein, that it was a misfortune 
he still lived, he expressed his desperate situation 
after the battle of Kunersdorf, for had the Russians 
followed up their advantage he must inevitably 
have been overwhelmed. A disagreement between 
Laudon and the Russian General SoltikofF was the 
cause of this failure, or, as was afterwards main- 
tained and perhaps with some reason, the Russians' 
crafty policy did not include Frederick's complete 
destruction. Although SoltikofF, with an eye to 
possible changes in the Russian government and 
its attitude toward the King of Prussia, may have 
determined not to follow up the victory, still it is 
difficult to explain why Daun should have remained 
inactive when the enemy's complete defeat would 
have inevitably produced such important results for 
Austria. At last he moved to another position at 
Triebel, which commanded the Prussian situation ; 
but Prince Henry contrived to annoy and harass his 
troops constantly without risking a decisive engage- 
ment. 

One misfortune after another befell Frederick. 

[105] 



^ MARIA THERESA 



General Finck's corps of twelve thousand men were 
defeated and taken prisoners by Daun, a heavy 
blow to the King's pride as well as to his army ; 
and a few days later fifteen thousand of Diereck's 
force shared the same fate. Such a succession of 
disasters seriously crippled Frederick's resources, 
and even the reenforcements brought him by the 
Hereditary Prince of Brunswick could do nothing 
to help matters. 

Notwithstanding the severity of the weather, it 
was not until the beginning of January, 1760, that 
the armies went into Winter quarters. Frederick 
remained in Freiberg, and his troops camped in the 
villages about Dresden, some of them even in tents. 
It was bitterly cold and they could keep warm only 
by huddling together. Sickness broke out among 
them, and the mortality was great ; but Daun did 
not fare much better. Both armies suffered terri- 
bly, and their losses were heavy. 

The year had been a disastrous one for Fred- 
erick, and fortune had smiled on the Empress; but 
her goal, Silesia, was still far distant, although 
Frederick's lack of resources for the continuance of 
the war seemed to bring it a little nearer. Her affairs, 

indeed, were in better condition than the King's. 
[106] 



^ CLOSE OF THE LONG STRUGGLE ^ 

He was in great need of money to recruit his army, 
and obliged to resort to any expedient to obtain it. 
He could not afford to be particular about his 
methods, as poor Saxony discovered to its cost. The 
willingness of its subjects to make sacrifices for her 
made it easier for Maria Theresa to obtain the means 
that she also needed for the prosecution of the war. 
Frederick tried in various ways to bring about a 
peace, but the Empress would not yield now that 
her hopes seemed about to be realized. She reso- 
lutely determined to continue the struggle for the 
sake of Silesia, that precious jewel she hoped soon 
to place once more in her imperial crown. 

The next campaign opened in Silesia, and pro- 
pitiously for Maria Theresa; for, at Landshut, Lau- 
don destroyed a whole Prussian army corps under 
General Fouquet, with the exception of a small 
detachment of cavalry which managed to cut its way 
through and escape. Fouquet was taken prisoner, 
and all his supplies and ammunition fell into the 
hands of the Austrians. Important as this achieve- 
ment was in itself, its principal value to Maria 
Theresa lay in the effect produced by so signal a 
victory at the very beginning of the campaign. 
Her troops had fought with desperate fury and 



^ MARIA THERESA*!^ 

showed no quarter, for they had been met with 
stubborn resistance and heroic valor on the part of 
the Prussians. There was great rejoicing when the 
news of the victory reached Vienna, and no one was 
happier than the Empress over the moral effect it 
produced. 

Frederick, who was confronting Daun in Saxony, 
had determined to go to the assistance of Fouquet 
in Silesia, but Daun followed, or rather kept close 
beside him, while Lacy was in the rear, annoying 
and impeding him at every turn and doing much 
damage to his supply trains. Therefore he halted 
at Gorlitz, and, changing his plan entirely, decided 
to attempt the reconquest of Dresden. He forced 
Lacy out of his way, evaded the Imperial army, and 
summoned Dresden to surrender. Failing in an 
attempt to surprise the city, he began to bombard 
it, although he lacked heavy artillery. When Daun 
discovered the King's move, he lost no time in 
turning back after him, and, reaching Dresden, dis- 
persed the Prince of Holstein's force, and sent a 
considerable body of troops to the assistance of the 
garrison, in spite of all Frederick's efforts to prevent 
it. Thinking that Daun would not allow the city 

to be ruined, he continued the bombardment, and 
[108] 



^ CLOSE OF THE LONG STRUGGLE * 

wrought havoc within the walls. Great as its dis- 
tress was, however, Dresden would not yield, and 
Frederick's troubles increased daily. Glatz was cap- 
tured, his losses at Dresden were very heavy, and 
a large part of his necessary supplies fell into the 
hands of the Austrians. 

Thus blow followed blow, and the loss of Glatz 
depressed Frederick in proportion as it rejoiced 
Maria Theresa, who thereby gained once more a 
foothold in Silesia. Nor was Laudon content with 
his easy conquest of Glatz. Encouraged by it, and 
knowing the insufficiency of the garrison at Breslau, 
he proceeded directly to that place, expecting as 
speedy a victory there as at Glatz ; a natural error, 
perhaps, but a serious one, as he soon discovered. 
The commander at Breslau was Tauentzien, a man 
not easy to subdue. Although Laudon brought all 
his force to bear against the city, he made no 
progress toward its capture ; and when Prince 
Henry came to its relief, he was forced to raise the 
siege. 

Frederick meantime had abandoned his fruitless 

bombardment of Dresden and hastened to Silesia, 

where his presence was needed; but Daun must 

have been accurately informed as to his movements, 

[109] 



^ MARIA THERESAS 



for he followed closely and passed him. Lacy falling 
to the rear of the Prussians. Thus there was the 
strange spectacle of what seemed like one huge 
army marching toward Silesia in three divisions, 
while Laudon approached with his troops from 
Breslau to meet them, and the Russians also ad- 
vanced to join the allies. The Austrian officer 
seemed quite justified in his remark when he said, 
" The bag is open and ready to catch the Prussians ; 
we have only to pull the string ! " 

When this was repeated to Frederick his eyes 
flashed, and he said with a bitter laugh, " The 
man has spoken truly ; but I will make a hole in 
the bag that they will not find it easy to mend ! " 

Vienna waited anxiously for the next news. 
Such a thing as Frederick's escape seemed scarcely 
possible. But almost every night he changed his 
position, which kept Daun in uncertainty as to his 
whereabouts, and it was this ceaseless activity and 
the wonderful mobility of his troops which proved 
" the hole in the bag " that was to show him the 
way out. 

From the positions occupied by the encircling 

armies of the enemy, he perceived it was Daun's 

plan to annihilate him by a combined attack. The 
[no] 



^ CLOSE OF THE LONG STRUGGLE ^ 

decisive moment arrived on the fourteenth of Au- 
gust, 1760. Daun was absolutely certain of success ; 
and indeed who would not have been, with the 
Prussians completely surrounded as they were ? 
During the night, however, Frederick abandoned 
his position and moved to Parchwitz. Surprised 
and chagrined, Daun found that his plans were 
frustrated, and that, while the Prussians had not 
yet escaped from " the bag," he had not altogether 
succeeded in " pulling the string." Nor was Lau- 
don any the less astonished, when he approached 
Liegnitz with thirty thousand men, to find the 
Prussians drawn up in order of battle. He hast- 
ened to form his own lines, but had only partially 
succeeded when the enemy attacked him. Taken 
completely by surprise, Laudon had the added dis- 
advantage of a most unfavorable position, which 
greatly impeded the movements of his troops. 
Though they fought bravely, returning again and 
again to the charge, he was finally forced to retreat 
with heavy loss. 

Everything seemed to have conspired against the 
Austrian generals. Daun might have sent assistance 
to Laudon had he known of the battle ; but a 

strong wind prevented any sound of the heavy fir- 

[III] 



MARIA THERESAS 



ing from reaching him, so he suspected nothing. If 
Laudon had sent him word, the result might have 
been different — indeed must have been ; but even 
when he received news of it Daun made no move, 
thinking the locaHty where the attack would have 
to be made was too unfavorable to offer any hope 
of success. 

Laudon was depressed by this defeat; but he 
was not held responsible for it even by the Em- 
press, who, while she regretted a misfortune that 
was also her own, sent him assurances of her sym- 
pathy and continued favor. To be able thus to 
" pour wine and oil on his wounds " and keep up 
her own courage as well, instead of giving way to 
depression, was still another proof of the strength 
and wisdom that never failed her. 

Frederick was well aware that his victory had 
brought him only temporary relief He had made 
the " hole in the bag," to be sure, but to get out of 
it was another matter. Daun understood this also, 
but none the less his failure to assist Laudon was a 
grave error. His plans were well laid, for the po- 
sition of the Austrian and Russian forces not only 
made it very difficult for the Prussians to obtain 
their supplies, but must in time cut them off alto- 

[112] 



^ CLOSE OF THE LONG STRUGGLE ^ 

gether. The resources of Breslau had been so ex- 
hausted by the siege that Frederick's only way out 
of his predicament was the doubtful possibility of a 
victory over Daun's army. The withdrawal of the 
Russians, however, opened the way for him to Bo- 
hemia, but in Saxony his outlook was unfavorable. 
The " hole in the bag " had helped him only for 
the time being, and Daun meanwhile was planning 
to strike a blow at his heart by seizing Berlin. 
Should the Russians be able to accomplish this, he 
was to fall back, while an Austrian auxiliary force 
under Lacy advanced to their support. 

This plan was carried out, and on the third of 
October the Russian vanguard suddenly appeared 
before Berlin. The danger was imminent, and, 
while the city hastily prepared for defence. Prince 
Eugene of Wiirtemberg, who had been opposing 
the Swedes, hurried a part of his army to the cap- 
ital by forced marches. Help was also summoned 
from Saxony, but the odds (sixteen thousand against 
thirty-five thousand) were too great, and Berlin was 
forced to capitulate. It was well for the city that 
General Tottleben showed both clemency and for- 
bearance, and spared the treasures of art and learn- 
ing accumulated there ; but Lacy's Austrian and 
8 [113] 



^ MARIA THERESAS 

Saxon troops were not so considerate, and Fred- 
erick's palaces were overrun and despoiled by them. 

It was only a few days, however, before the news 
that Frederick himself was approaching to the 
rescue of his capital drove the enemy from the 
walls of Berlin. Matters had not been progressing 
favorably for the King. His prospects were still 
dark, and if they were to assume a brighter aspect 
he would be obliged to attack Daun, whose posi- 
tion at Torgau was so strong as to make it a very 
difficult undertaking. The Austrian troops were 
fresh, moreover, and well equipped ; but, notwith- 
standing all this and the advantage of numbers, — 
Daun had sixty thousand men, while he had but 
forty thousand himself, — Frederick decided to 
make the attempt, desperate as it seemed. 

The struggle was long and deadly ; the constant 
discharge of artillery shook the earth and whole 
ranks were mown down, even the King himself 
being wounded. Daun received a bullet in the 
thigh, but he was so confident of victory that he 
despatched a messenger to Vienna with the news — 
too soon, however, for the day was not yet ended ! 
Just as night was closing in, Zieten, who had pre- 
viously taken no part in the action, scaled the 



^ CLOSE OF THE LONG STRUGGLE ^ 

heights of SiipHtz and captured the hill. This de- 
cided the fate of the Austrians. Notwithstanding 
all their efforts, they were compelled to give way 
and retreat to Dresden, — a bitter blow to Daun, 
who had already announced his victory in Vienna ! 
The battle was one of the bloodiest of the war ; 
sixteen thousand Austrians lay dead on the field or 
were taken prisoners. But the Prussians had paid 
dearly for their victory, having lost fourteen thou- 
sand men. Maria Theresa, however, showed her 
usual tact and magnanimity toward the defeated 
general, by going out of her way to meet him on 
his return from Torgau, and seeing that his wound 
received proper attention. 

Frederick had not succeeded, however, in wrest- 
ing the Plauen valley, the key to Dresden, from the 
Austrians. They went into Winter quarters there, 
while Laudon, after an unsuccessful attempt to cap- 
ture Kosel, retired to Glatz. The Russians with- 
drew to Poland and the Swedes to Pomerania. 
The French had accomplished little and had met 
with many reverses, but toward the end of the 
campaign they obtained a victory over the Hered- 
itary Prince of Brunswick. The struggle was con- 
tinued in Hesse without any decisive results, until 

[><5] 



^ MARIA THERESA 



the coming of Winter made it necessary to suspend 
hostilities. Thus ended the fifth year of the war, 
with its harvest of death and destruction, leaving 
all the armies completely exhausted. And still no 
sign of peace ! 

Notwithstanding his victories, Frederick had suf- 
fered heavily, and the future looked dark for him ; 
while Maria Theresa could look forward, if not 
confidently, at least with less doubt and anxiety. 
She continued her preparations most indefatigably. 
Laudon was placed in command in Silesia, while 
Saxony was assigned to Daun as his field of action, 
the object of their united endeavors being the re- 
conquest of Silesia. Frederick was aware of this, 
and shaped his plans accordingly, although circum- 
stances compelled him to act strictly on the defen- 
sive. He occupied the famous camp at Bunselwiltz, 
where he was in a good position to protect Schweid- 
nitz. Laudon was anxious to attack him there, but 
the Russian General Butterlin refused to be drawn 
into a decisive engagement ; at most he would only 
consent to assist Laudon with an auxiliary force. 
Frederick had no fear of an attack by day, but was 
obliged to guard against the danger of being sur- 
prised at night. September of 176 1 came, and still 
[116] 



^ CLOSE OF THE LONG STRUGGLE ^ 

nothing had occurred. On the thirtieth of that 
month, however, Laudon made a sudden attack on 
Schweidnitz, from all sides at once, and the com- 
mander there, who had neglected all precautions, 
taken completely by surprise, was forced to sur- 
render unconditionally. 

Frederick's star seemed to be setting; for in 
Pomerania too he had been unfortunate. The usual 
vacillating and dilatory methods of the War Office 
favored him somewhat, for Laudon had received 
orders not to undertake any further operations and 
to confine himself to the defensive. The fall of 
Kolberg, which had made a stout resistance, and 
only capitulated when all the supplies had given 
out, was a fresh blow to the King. The Prussians 
had met with no decisive results in their encounters 
with the French, nor had they succeeded in inflict- 
ing any damage upon them. The end of the cam- 
paign left Frederick apparently on the verge of 
ruin. Maria Theresa's heart was fuJl of joy and 
hope, for never had Silesia been so nearly within 
her grasp as now, when her enemy had apparently 
exhausted his last resources. 

The beginning of the year 1762 seemed to give 
her fresh grounds for hope, but these were sud- 



^ MARIA THERESA 



denly dissipated by the news of the death of the 
Czarina Elizabeth of Russia.-^ She had been Fred- 
erick's bitterest enemy, and her successor, Peter III, 
was his most enthusiastic admirer. The new Czar 
gave immediate proof of his friendship by issuing a 
manifesto in which he formally announced his in- 
tention of making peace with Prussia. A treaty 
was signed May 5, 1762, which restored to Fred- 
erick all conquests made by the Russians, and paved 
the way for an alliance between the two countries. 
This completely altered the aspect of affairs, and 
dashed Maria Theresa's hopes and plans to the 
ground; for Frederick was now in a position to 
concentrate all his forces against Austria. Sweden 
too had withdrawn from its alliance with Austria, 
and followed the example of Russia in making 
terms of peace with Prussia. Everything seemed 
conspiring against the Empress. 

Silesia still remained the centre of the struggle, 
and Frederick assumed the command there in per- 
son, the recapture of Schweidnitz being his first 
object. Choosing a favorable position, he awaited 
the arrival of the Russian troops promised him by 



1 The Czarina died Jan. 5, 176a. 

[.18] 



^ CLO SE OF THE LONG STRUGGLE ^ 

his new ally, Peter III, before attempting any im- 
portant move against his old adversary, Daun. Just 
as all his preparations were complete, however, and 
he was about to begin the attack, news arrived 
which threatened to upset all his plans. The Czar, 
Peter III, had been dethroned. Catherine II im- 
mediately succeeded him, and her first act was the 
recall of the troops which had been sent to as- 
sist the Prussians. This was a misfortune which 
Frederick had not anticipated, but he tried to avert 
its immediate disastrous results by persuading the 
Russian general to defer his departure for three days. 
This made prompt action necessary, but Frederick 
was the man of all others to meet emergencies. 
Although the Russians took no part in the action, 
Daun was quite in the dark as to their attitude, and 
this uncertainty obliged him to weaken his force 
by detaching a body of troops to watch them. 
Frederick's attack was successful. Daun's army 
was defeated and driven from the heights of Burk- 
ersdorf. 

The King's greatest anxiety now concerned 
Catherine's attitude toward European affairs ; con- 
sequently her declaration of neutrality was a great 
relief to his mind, for he feared that Russia's power 

["9] 



* MARIA THERESAS* 

might be again exerted on the side of Austria. 
After his victory at Burkersdorf, he lost no time in 
laying siege to Schweidnitz. Daun tried to relieve 
brave old Count Guasco, who was in command there, 
but met with such a serious defeat at Reichenbach 
that he was obliged to leave the stronghold to the 
fate which finally overtook it. 

The King next turned his attention to Saxony, 
where his brother Henry was bravely resisting the 
Austrians and the Imperial army. The Austrians 
had not been meeting with great success, but the 
arrival of Count Haddick as commander-in-chief 
seemed to turn the fortune of war again in their 
favor. Had Haddick not waited for reenforce- 
ments from Daun, Prince Henry would probably 
have been defeated ; but by the time they arrived 
the Prussian army had also been strengthened by 
troops from Silesia, and in the battle of Freiberg, 
which immediately ensued, the Austrians were de- 
feated with heavy loss. 

It was the last battle of this dreadful war, which 

for so many long years had wrought untold misery 

throughout the wretched countries that had been the 

scene of the bloody conflict. Frederick, to be sure, 

continued the struggle against the Imperial army 
[120] 



^ CLOSE OF THE LONG STRUGGLE ^ 

until the panic caused by Kleist's huzzars forced 
the small German States to beg for peace. In West- 
phalia, and Hesse, also, the Prussians at last laid 
down their victorious arms. In truth, the exhaustion 
of all parties made peace imperative. It was finally- 
declared February 15, 1763, and a treaty was signed 
at Hubertsburg which restored all conquests and 
left everything practically where it was at the begin- 
ning of the Seven Years' War, Prussia retaining 
undisturbed possession of Silesia. 

This was the heaviest sacrifice that Maria Theresa 
could have been called upon to make for peace. It 
cost her a great struggle with herself, and many 
bitter tears, but she did it so that the blessings of 
peace might be restored to her people. 



[121] 




Chapter VII . 
The Last Days of Maria Theresa 

EACE ! The joyful cry rang from one 
end of Maria Theresa's dominions to the 
other, and was echoed in her own heart ; 
for, deeply as she grieved over Silesia, now 
lost to her forever, she must have had a feeling of 
thankfulness when she thought of those battlefields 
which had been reddened with the blood of so 
many thousands of her people. Her deeply reli- 
gious nature must have prompted the thought : 
" Since all my sacrifices, all my efforts and exertions 
have availed nothing toward the restoration of Silesia 
to me, it must be the will of Him who rules all, and 
without whose notice not a sparrow falls." 

The great Empress, who could control herself so 
well, could not fail to recognize how incomplete her 
efforts toward governing and improving the condi- 
tion of her people had been thus far, and to wel- 
come a peace which would enable her to continue 
[122] 



^ LAST DAYS OF MARIA THERESA ^ 

the work, and, in devoting all her energies to re- 
move the devastation caused by the war, find a balm 
for the wound in her own heart which the loss of 
Silesia had inflicted. 

It would be doing Maria Theresa a great injustice, 
however, to imply that she to whom the condition 
of the government and its evils had been so clear, 
even during her father's lifetime, had not profited 
by the occasional intervals of peace which the 
country had enjoyed, and worked zealously for their 
reform until war again turned the ploughshare into 
the sword. It was impossible for her to recognize 
defects without endeavoring to remedy them. We 
have already seen how resolutely she checked the 
luxury and extravagance of the Court after her 
father's death; how, taught by bitter experience the 
need of reformation in the army, she had strength- 
ened and prepared it for the long and desperate 
struggle that was to come ; how she had increased 
the country's revenues and readjusted the system 
of taxation upon which she depended for means to 
defend her right to the throne ; and with what 
unerring judgment she had chosen the best men to 
carry out her plans, and placed them where their 
abilities would be of most service to the country. 

[123] 



^ MARIA THERESAS 

Her character and talents especially fitted her for 
the position she occupied as sovereign of a great 
Empire in need of reorganization, for to her clear 
insight, her habit of going to the root of things, 
and her wide sympathies, was added a calmness and 
strength of purpose which enabled her to achieve 
great results without rashness or precipitancy. Her 
reforms indeed were brought about so gradually, 
and newer and more effective methods succeeded 
the old so naturally, that they aroused no opposi- 
tion, and were accomplished with none of that 
confusion which more abrupt and violent changes 
might have caused. She took great pleasure in 
watching the fruitful results of these efforts, without 
any desire for that personal glory which is often so 
cheaply obtained. There was, in truth, no depart- 
ment of public affairs which was not in need of 
reconstruction, no part of the national life where 
she did not find something to rectify ; but nothing 
escaped her, even to the smallest detail. Every- 
where, from the army down to her own domestic 
service, the results of her conscientious care and 
judicious supervision were visible. 

In all matters of learning and education Maria 
Theresa depended on the help of Van Swieten, an 
[124] 



^ LAST DAYS OF MARIA THERESA ^ 

eminent and accomplished Dutch physician. She 
had appointed him to a position in Court, but soon 
recognized his profound knowledge in all branches 
of learning, and at once assigned him to a field 
where his talents could be utilized, not only in the 
sanitary administration of her realm, but also in 
other departments in which his services were quite 
as valuable. 

Under the personal supervision of the Empress, 
Van Swieten undertook the reconstruction of the 
whole system of education and the reorganization of 
the Imperial library. Many schools and institutions 
were established, including one for the study of 
Oriental languages, rendered necessary by the in- 
creasing importance of Austria's relations with the 
East, one for veterinary surgery, and an academy 
for young noblemen. Though deeply and sincerely 
devout, Maria Theresa realized that the ecclesiastical 
power and authority required restriction, and that 
the condition of the monasteries was sadly in need 
of reform. Much as she accomplished for higher 
culture, the education of the lower classes was no 
less important to her ; for Austria had not kept pace 
with general progress in this direction, and dense 
ignorance prevailed among them. Her chief ad- 



^ MARIA THERESA*C> 

viser and supporter in this work was Joseph von 
Sonnenfelsj whose suggestion, " It is not enough to 
have public schools in the large cities ; not even 
the smallest village should be without one/' was 
warmly approved by Maria Theresa, the mother of 
her country. The Normal School in Vienna set an 
example for other cities, which was soon followed 
in the so-called " low country." 

If the abolishment of the rack, with its inhuman 
and unchristian tortures, had been Maria Theresa's 
only contribution to higher civilization in her Empire, 
she would have deserved the thanks, not only of her 
own people but of all mankind; but while this was 
her most notable act, there was no department of 
life, no branch of the government, that did not bear 
witness to her noble qualities of head and heart or 
feel the influence of her beneficent power. She loved 
and fostered music, and among the masters who 
shed a lustre over that period the great names of 
Gluck, Haydn, and Mozart will testify to her un- 
failing interest in this art; while the branches of 
painting and sculpture claimed no less a share of 
her patronage and support. 

It is useless to attempt here to go into all the 
details of her various achievements, but one subject 
[126] 



^ LAST DAYS OF MARIA THERESA ^ 

must be mentioned which deeply involved the 
welfare of the people and of the country, — that of 
agriculture, trade, and commerce. Her efforts to 
improve agricultural conditions were necessarily 
rudimental, and results were left for the future to 
develop ; but it was Maria Theresa's sowing that 
made the harvest of later times possible, and she 
prepared the way by founding schools for the study 
of agriculture, thus providing opportunities for the 
farmers to secure larger knowledge of their avocation. 
Another great step was the realization of the need 
of a system of drainage, now so indispensable to 
human welfare, but which at that time had received 
little attention, especially in Austria. She instituted 
a thorough study of the subject, had large areas of 
land drained and made productive, thus providing 
more farms for the people. She also built new vil- 
lages in the sparsely populated districts of Hungary, 
Galicia, Bohemia, and Banat,^ and settled them with 
industrious workmen ; founded the Economical 
Society of Lower Austria, and instituted annual 
prize examinations. She imported merino sheep 



1 Banat is a part of Southern Hungary between the Maros on the north, the 
Theiss on the west, and the Danube on the south. It was part of the ** Military 
Frontier ' ' which Maria Theresa established. 



^ MARIA THERESAS- 

from Spain, and had them distributed among sheep- 
raisers. In Hungary and Bohemia, where there 
were large flax fields, apiaries were started. Fine 
breeds of horses were raised for use by the cavalry. 
In these and other ways the resources of the country 
were developed for its own enrichment, instead of 
going out of the country for the advantage of foreign 
treasuries. Trade and commerce were facilitated by 
the building of new roads and canals. Rivers were 
made more navigable ; new markets were opened up 
and seaports were improved and increased, while 
home industries and manufactures were encouraged 
by the erection of factories. 

In short, the field over which her watchful super- 
vision extended was boundless, and yet every detail 
received her personal attention. All reports were 
made to her directly, and she discussed matters of 
all kinds with those who were experts, often surpris- 
ing them by her accurate knowledge and apt sugges- 
tions. And yet with all these cares the Empress 
still found time to perform the various duties of 
government with unabated zeal and energy, and 
devoted herself to her family, the care of which was 
a sacred mission to her, with the utmost fidelity. 

As we take a glance into this august family circle 
[128] 



^ LAST DAYS OF MARIA THERESA ^ 

it is difficult to believe it that of an Emperor and 
Empress, such an atmosphere of simplicity and 
sincere affection prevailed there. Maria Theresa 
presided over it with all the womanly charm and 
devotion of a true German housewife and mother. 
A handsomer royal couple could scarcely have been 
found. Their married life had been very happy, 
for they were one in heart and mind. She was 
devoted to her husband and he to her, although 
her father had not favored the attachment. The 
Emperor Francis II was calm and deliberate ; 
Maria Theresa high-spirited and quick-tempered, 
but firm and decided, and full of life and vivacity. 
Their natures therefore complemented each other, 
the Emperor*s placidity and easy-going disposition 
often acting as a beneficial restraint. When a dis- 
agreement occurred between them, — something that 
will happen in the happiest married life, — the 
Empress would burst out impetuously, while her 
consort only grumbled in his beard ; but the chief 
lady-in-waiting. Countess Fuchs, who shared the 
confidence of both, usually succeeded in soon re- 
storing peace, for their misunderstandings never 
lasted long. 

The Emperor rarely concerned himself with 
9 [129] 



^ MARIA THERESAS 

matters that did not appeal to his own tastes and 
inclinations, and took no part in affairs of state ex- 
cept at the request of his wife. At such times he 
gave his advice gladly and cheerfully, for no one 
could resist the covert flattery of Maria Theresa's 
entreaties. Their marriage was blessed with sixteen 
children, living bonds which united and made the 
happiness of their lives, and whose love and affec- 
tion were a refuge to the Empress from the cares of 
state. How often must her weary brain and over- 
burdened soul have found rest and comfort in the 
embraces of her children, especially the younger 
ones, always nearest to a mother's heart, while she 
drew fresh strength and courage from their pure and 
innocent affection ! The difference in the natures of 
the imperial pair was of advantage also in the training 
of their children, for the father's unfailing patience 
and good nature often acted as a check on the moth- 
er's hasty and imperious temper. At the same time 
there was no friction, for they were of one mind as 
to the importance of implanting the right principles ; 
the Emperor insisting on strict obedience, propriety 
of behavior, and order (which was especially dear to 
him), while their moral and religious training fell to 

the share of the Empress, who never appeared love- 
[130] 



^ LAST DAYS OF MARIA THERESA ^ 

Her or more interesting than in the privacy of her 
family life. 

The education of their numerous children was 
the most sacred duty and interest of both parents, 
and their teachers were selected with the greatest 
care. The Empress devoted especial attention to 
the education of her oldest son and successor, 
Joseph, particularly in the various languages 
spoken in her dominions. She knew from her 
own experience how strong is the bond between a 
sovereign and his people when he can speak with 
them in their mother-tongue. As a mark of her 
gratitude toward Hungary, she gave her dear " Sep- 
pel" (her familiar name for the Archduke Joseph), 
as steward of his household, the brave Hungarian 
Prince Bathiany, a man well fitted for the position 
and much esteemed and beloved by his own 
countrymen. No detail was neglected in the care 
bestowed on the management of the royal children, 
and the Empress* strict orders that they should 
" always be courteous to servants and inferiors " 
might well serve as an example to all mothers. 
This simple and beautiful family life, which had 
been Maria Theresa's chief joy and happiness, was 
sadly shattered by the death of the husband to 

[131] 



^ MARIA THERESAS 

whom she was so tenderly attached. It cast a deep 
shadow over the rest of her life, and from the day 
of his death she never laid aside her mourning. 

How richly Maria Theresa rewarded faithful ser- 
vice, aside from the honors or orders she conferred, 
is shown by the friendly relations between herself 
and the men she most valued and esteemed. She 
called old Count Palffy her " father " ; the brave and 
loyal Khevenhiiller, her " knight " ; gallant Traun, 
her " shield '' ; and so on. Of the honored Count 
Chotek she once wrote : " I have had news from 
him every day, and was anxious for two days lest 
the worst might happen. When he is able to be 
out of bed, I shall visit him." Again, when Count 
Chotek had begged from the Empress the services 
of the Court physician. Dr. Kessler, for his sick 
child, she wrote back at once : 

" Thank God that he is to be in such good 
hands as Kessler*s. It can be easily arranged, and 
the letter will be sent to Van Swieten as a matter 
of form. I could not sleep last night for thinking 
of the charming child, and Van Swieten was much 
affected when he learned from me of his condition, 
but cheered up at once when he found that Kessler 
had charge of him. I hope he will not be marked 
[132] 




■ 23£ comforted, my good njuoman,for I 
■^^ have come to see you^"" 



^ LAST DAYS OF MARIA THERESA ^ 

as his brother Humelauer was,^ and that Kessler 
will let me know every day how he is, for I am 
deeply interested." 

Once when she was at Laxenburg^ it chanced 
that a poor woman, one hundred and eight years of 
age, who was well known to her, and had not 
missed for many years the usual ceremony of the 
foot-washing on Maundy Thursday, was unable 
that year to be present, and bitterly lamented that 
she was not to see her beloved Empress. Maria 
Theresa heard of this, and was so touched by it that 
she went herself to the dame's miserable dwelling. 

" You were grieving," she said, with her winning 
smile, " because you could not see me ? Well, be 
comforted then, my good woman, for I have come 
to see you," and seating herself by the sick-bed she 
talked for some time with the delighted old woman 
in her kindly and sympathetic way, leaving when 
she departed a sum of money for her care and sup- 
port. Nor did she ever afterward lose sight of her. 

An event which happened at the time of the birth 
of one of her grandsons is deeply graven on the 



1 Smallpox was epidemic at this time in Vienna. 

2 Laxenburg is a village about nine miles from Vienna, where there was a castle 
and royal park. 

[133] 



^ MARIA THERESA 



hearts of the Austrians. She was at the theatre on 
the evening of February 19, 1768, when a message was 
brought to her announcing the birth of a son to her 
daughter-in-law, the wife of her son Leopold, Grand 
Duke of Tuscany. Overjoyed with the news, she 
quickly rose, and leaning far over the railing of her 
box she waved the paper and announced to the 
audience, " Leopold has a boy ! " It may be 
imagined what applause followed these words, so 
clearly illustrating the familiar relations existing 
between her and her people. 

But Maria Theresa*s declining years unfortu- 
nately were destined to be no less stormy than the 
rest of her life had been. The death of her hus- 
band, coming so suddenly and unexpectedly, was a 
crushing blow, but in so far as she felt the need of 
a man*s help she depended on her son Joseph. She 
made him co-regent with her, not because his 
youthful strength and energy were necessary to her, 
but because circumstances made it desirable. Many 
political complications had arisen — notably the par- 
tition of Poland, against which Maria Theresa, 
with her strong sense of right and justice, protested 
vigorously. The mere mention of it sufficed to 
arouse her furious indignation. Although the 
[^34] 



-» LAST DAYS OF MARIA THERESA ^ 

Poles had brought it upon themselves, and perhaps 
deserved no better fate, she felt sure that only evil 
could result from such a step, as a declaration she 
made over her own signature when the affair was 
concluded shows. It ran thus : " I agree to it since 
such a number of wise men have so decreed, but 
long after I am dead time will show the bitter con- 
sequences ! " The whole affair caused her " great 
sorrow," as she herself expressed it, and made her 
feel " more anxious than anything has ever done ; 
indeed I am ashamed to have witnessed it ! " 

The Emperor Joseph's political views were de- 
cidedly opposed to those of his great mother, and 
necessarily so, perhaps, owing to the changes in con- 
ditions and circumstances. This was especially the 
case in the matter of the Bavarian succession, which 
cast a shadow over the Empress* later years. On the 
death of the Elector of Bavaria without issue, Joseph 
laid claim to his dominions; but Maria Theresa recog- 
nized the weakness of these claims, although at the 
same time she strongly resented Frederick ITs in- 
terference and opposition to her son's plans. She 
shrank from the prospect of another war, but the 
situation became so involved and threatening that a 
conflict seemed inevitable. Preparations for war 



MARIA THERESA ^ 



were actually begun, when the Peace of Teschen^ 
put an end to the danger, much to Maria Theresa's 
relief as well as satisfaction, for she had practically 
been the means of bringing it about. 

Her great influence and popularity remained un- 
diminished to the last; nor did age destroy the 
charm of her personality, although increasing stout- 
ness caused her much annoyance and trouble. Her 
mind and heart retained all their youthful vigor, 
however, nor did she ever lose her kindly interest 
and sympathy for those about her. 

On the eighteenth of November, 1780, a singular 
accident occurred to the Empress. Her grief for her 
dead husband was deep and sincere, and she faith- 
fully observed every anniversary of his death, often 
going to his tomb in the imperial vault. As she 
walked with great difficulty, however, and the climb- 
ing of stairs was especially unpleasant to her, she 
had had a sort of seat contrived in which she could 
be raised or lowered easily and slowly into the vault. 
Upon her visit to the tomb on this occasion she 
had almost reached the floor of the vault when the 



1 Teschen is a manufacturing town in Austrian Silesia. The treaty concluded 
there May 13, 1779, between Austria and Prussia, terminated the War of the 
Bavarian Succession, zn\ is known as " The Peace of Teschen." 

[■36] 



-» LAST DAYS OF MARIA THE RESA ^ 

Strong rope which lowered her broke. She was not 
injured except from the shock, but this affected her 
all the more, for she regarded the incident as an 
omen that she too would soon be consigned to that 
silent place of rest. 

Indeed, on the very next day, possibly as the re- 
sult of a chill contracted in the tomb, she was seized 
with convulsive attacks of coughing, which she at 
first considered of little consequence ; but the spasms 
grew so much worse that suffocation was feared. 
Bleeding brought little relief, and pleurisy soon de- 
veloped, increasing her distress so that she was 
forced to sit up in an arm-chair. She bore her suf- 
ferings patiently and uncomplainingly, however. 
Only once, after a severe paroxysm of coughing and 
struggle for breath, she said, " God grant the end 
may come soon, for I do not know how I can bear 
it any longer,'* and to the Archduke Maximilian 
she remarked, "Thus far my courage and firmness 
have not deserted me ; pray God, upon Whom all 
my thoughts are fixed, that I may keep them to 
the last!" 

The malady increased, and a premonition of ap- 
proaching death seized her. She called for the last 
sacrament, like a good Catholic, and then summoned 

[137] 



* MARIA THERESA^ 

to her bedside all the members of her family who 
were in Vienna. 

" Dear children," she said, " I have received the 
holy sacrament and know there is no hope of recov- 
ery for me. Remember what care and pains your 
father, the late Emperor, and I have bestowed upon 
your education ; how we have always loved you 
and tried to do everything for you that could add 
to your happiness. All that I have in the world 
belongs to you," turning to the Emperor Jo- 
seph, " so I need make no disposition of anything. 
Only my children belong to me, and always will. 
I commit them to your care. Be a father to them ! 
I shall die content if I have your promise to watch 
over them truly and faithfully." 

To the other children she said, " Henceforth 
you must look upon the Emperor as your sover- 
eign ; obey and honor him as such. Be guided by 
his counsel ; trust and love him with all your hearts, 
that he may have cause to bestow on you his care, 
his friendship, and his affection." 

Then she quietly and calmly bestowed a maternal 

blessing upon each of her children, absent as well as 

present. Deeply moved, they gave way to their 

grief in sobs and tears, which affected Maria Theresa 

[138] 



^ LAST DAYS OF M ARIA THERESA -» 

most painfully, but she controlled herself and said 
to them firmly : 

" I think it would be better for you to go into 
the next room and compose yourselves." 

Even at that solemn moment she was still busy 
with affairs of government, and she signed several 
state documents with her own hand. She thanked 
her faithful Kaunitz for his loyal service to her, 
and also charged the Hungarian chancellor. Ester- 
hazy, to convey her thanks to his people for all 
their loyalty, devotion, and help in time of need, at 
the same time bidding the Emperor Joseph ever to 
bear this in mind. 

Joseph never left her side. She suffered greatly 
from distress for breath, and at eight o'clock cried 
out : " Open the window ! " at the same time rising 
from her chair. The Emperor supported her gently 
in his arms, and asked, " Where does Your Majesty 
wish to go ? " 

Looking upward, she cried, " To thee ! I come ! " 
and with these last words sank back and expired. 

Her death occurred November 29, 1780, in the 
sixty-fourth year of her age. Four days afterward 
she was laid by the side of her husband in the im- 
perial vault of the Capuchins in Vienna. Her death 

[139] 



^ MARIA THERESA* 

plunged the whole country into mourning. Few 
have departed from life so beloved and so honored. 
Frederick the Great wrote of her : " The death 
of the Empress has grieved me much ; she honored 
her throne and her sex. I have made war upon 
her, but I have never been her enemy ! '* 



[140] 



^pptntfij: 



The following is a chronological statement of the more 

important events in the reign of Maria Theresa : 

1 71 7 Birth of Maria Theresa. 

1 73 1 Acceptance of the Pragmatic Sanction. 

1733 War with France on behalf of King of Poland. 

1736 Marriage of Maria Theresa to Francis of Lorraine. 

1739 Peace with Turkey. 

1740 Death of Emperor Charles VI. 
1740 Succession of Maria Theresa. 
1745 Francis I elected Emperor. 

1741-45 War of the Austrian Succession. 

1745 Peace concluded at Dresden. 

1745-48 War with France. 

1748 Peace concluded at Aix-la-Chapelle. 

1757—63 Seven Years' War. 

1763 Peace concluded at Hubertsburg. 

1765 Death of Emperor Francis I. 

1765 Succession of Joseph II. 

1772 Partition of Poland. 

1778—79 War of the Bavarian Succession concluded, without 
bloodshed, by Peace of Teschen. 

1780 Death of Maria Theresa. 



[■41] 



LIFE STORIES FOR 
YOUNG PEOPLE 

BIOGRAPHICAL ROMANCES 

TRANStATED FROM THE GERMAN BY 

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A FULL LIST OF THE TITLES IS GIVEN ON THE NEXT PAGE 

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Each is a small square i6mo in uniform bin dingy with four 

illustrations. Each 6o cents net, [over] 



LIFE STORIES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE 

FULL LIST OF TITLES 

Frederick the Great 

The Maid of Orleans 

The Little Dauphin 

Maria Theresa 

William Tell 

Mozart 

Beethoven 

JoHANN Sebastian Bach 

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